


Starting Over

by TheAwesomeWriter



Series: The Coventry Series [1]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 49,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28464927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwesomeWriter/pseuds/TheAwesomeWriter
Summary: After a fifteen month stint in a juvenile correction facility, Christopher Haynes is ready to turn his life around and start anew. When he discovers a pink, glittering gem in the middle of a detention/field trip, he may just get his wish.
Series: The Coventry Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084979
Comments: 25
Kudos: 18





	1. The Releasing of Christopher Haynes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Twix3780](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twix3780/gifts).



> I could never have entered this Fandom and written this story without you and your wonderful brain!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** _Power Rangers_ _, all related concepts and anything you recognise do not belong to me. I am merely borrowing them to bring you this story - and for my own personal enjoyment - as they actually belong to their rightful owners: Saban, Hasbro and Disney._

 **Rating:** _Teen_

 **Pairings:** _N/A_

 **Genre:** _Fantasy/Adventure_

 **Warnings:** _Violence, occasional bad language._

 **Story Summary:** _After a fifteen month stint in a juvenile correction facility, Christopher Haynes is ready to turn his life around and start anew. When he discovers a pink, glittering gem in the middle of a detention/field trip, he may just get his wish._

 **Thank You:** _Thank you to Twix3780 for brainstorming with me and helping me dangle my feet into this fandom. If you like this, then go and read her stories. They're brilliant!_

* * *

* * *

**Chapter I: The Releasing of Christopher Haynes**

* * *

Two thousand and four had been an unusually warm year with very little rain and it was similar day in August that our story begins: the doors to the Reefside Correction Facility clunked open with a metallic thrum and eighteen year old Christopher Haynes raised a hand, eyes squinting, to block out the sunlight piercing his corneas.

Fifteen months he’d been in there. Fifteen long, annoying, mind-numbing months with bland food, artificial lighting, a small toilet, partial blindness, and a cellmate who snored and stank of rancid beef and rotten pie.

Now, at least, he was free.

Finally.

He’d been tossed into the Correction Facility when he’d been just sixteen – a month shy of seventeen – and now, at eighteen, was being released; he was tall for his age and leanly built, with a sharp jaw, sparkling blue eyes and waist length brown hair; one last act of rebellion.

His good mood at being released was, as he expected, dampened when he caught sight of his parents standing by the car as they waited for him to approach: his mother was short and skinny with shoulder length brown hair and wore a pencil skirt and suit, while his father was tall and broad with a moustache and beard and wore a suit, tie and trousers.

The security guard at the door signed his papers, allowing him, at last, to truly be free.

He swung his bag over his shoulder and, finally, stepped into the sun that had pierced his vision.

His surly mood was raised somewhat when his almost fourteen year old brother, now almost as tall as he was with a faint layer of chin-stubble, almost snapped him in half in a tight embrace. That helped – it really did. He’d never admit it publicly, of course, but he’d give his brother his dessert tonight as a thank you gift for improving his mood.

 _Have to get a birthday present for Ed as soon as possible_ , he thought, ruffling his brother’s hair and throwing an arm around him as they headed off towards the car parked in the middle of the car-park. _His birthday is next week._

“Get in,” said his father as he reached the car and took off his duffel bag of things.

 _So, it was like that, was it?_ he thought, raising an eyebrow and opening the car door _. Silence and disapproval, with only the bare minimum level of talking given to me. I can handle that – we never really spoke much before anyway._

Christopher climbed into the back of the car, Edward to his left, his father in the driver’s seat and his mother in the front passenger seat.

The journey home to 157 Main Street, Reefside, California, took about ten minutes in total, but it felt like hours, the awkwardness of the situation hanging uncomfortably between parents and son.

“So...” Christopher began, licking his lips as he caught his mother’s vision in the rear-view mirror as his father turned off of Boulevard Lane and into Clarence Court Lane. “What’s happening with my schooling? Do I have to repeat Junior Year?”

“Yes,” said his mother, quickly, her voice stern and unloving. “The new Principal has agreed to allow you back into the school, but only if you repeat your junior year.”

“I thought as much,” sighed Christopher in annoyance. “Wait – _new_ Principal? What happened to Principal Rat Breath?”

“Principal _Rathbone_ retired shortly after your little... prank...” said his mother, choosing her words carefully and shooting Edward a glare as he snickered at Chris's nickname for the old Principal. “He was going to stay on, but when the school board discussed your return a few months ago, when we received your release date, he decided he couldn’t tolerate another _two_ years as your Principal and chose to step down. Principal Randall begins her tenure on the first of September.”

“I see,” said Christopher. “You’ll be a Freshman, won’t you, Ed?”

“Yeah!” said Ed, happily. There seemed, at least to Christopher, to be no hatred of him on Edward’s part there. At least _somebody_ in the family didn’t loathe his existence.

“My sister is coming for dinner tonight,” said his mother, after a few more agonising minutes crept past.

“Oh God,” he said – and he meant it. Their Aunt Mabel was a battle axe and a half – and he was including his mother, quite a battle axe herself, in that statement. There was no scarier woman in existence; being in a room with their Aunt Mabel was like being struck over the head with a brick – blunt, painful, and never wanting to be relived.

“Don’t blaspheme,” said his mother crisply, quickly.

Oh, yes, of course. He’d forgotten his mother was a religious person, his father too. He’d never been a fan of religion himself, and that had just been the first nail in the proverbial coffin in the eyes of his parents, had been the cause of many an argument on a Sunday morning before church, had led to blistering shouting matches across the breakfast table that had made Edward cry and go racing off to his bedroom.

“Inside,” said his father as the car came to a clunk outside the family house - Haynes Bookstore, 157 Main Street, Reefside, California – and Edward, beaming from ear to ear at his brother finally being home – pushed open the door and hopped out of the car.

He saw old Mrs. Winters whisper to someone from behind the hedgerow next to the alleyway to the side of their house.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Oh, joy, Aunt Mabel was drunk – not just tipsy, but utterly plastered, looking like an over-inflated bullfrog.

Edward was trying, valiantly, unsuccessfully, to not be noticed by her. He was shovelling down food as quickly as he possibly could, swallowing barely seconds before spearing the next forkful of food, anything to avoid being seen by deranged, drunk, _delightful_ Aunt Mabel.

“I assume you intend to write a letter of thanks to the school for allowing you to return to their campus and receive an education, Coventry?” slurred his aunt over the rim of what he thought was her tenth glass of wine.

 _Ah. There’s the first name. Tonight’s going to be anything but fun_ , thought Christopher. “What for?” he asked, stabbing a piece of his pork loin steak with his fork. “By law they have to provide me an education.”

“You’re a convicted criminal.”

“I was convicted because a cow recorded things that occurred, but failed to get everything and swayed the court against me. If things had been truly unbiased, Aunt Mabel, I wouldn’t have spent the last fifteen months in a cell with a man who snored and smelt of rancid beef and rotten pie!”

“You spent the last fifteen months exactly where you belonged!”

Edward yelped as his brother launched from the chair, leaning nastily across the table at their drunken aunt, his plate rattling violently under his hand that had smashed down onto the table as gravy splattered onto Christopher’s hand and dripped to the floor.

“Where I belong, woman, is in school, receiving an education – what I do not need is a fat, drunken cow lecturing me on what I have or have not done. I’m aware of what I did – or have you forgotten my day in court? You were there, if I remember rightly! I distinctly remember you cheering when I was convicted of unintentional manslaughter and larceny after stealing fireworks from Old Lady Winters next door!”

“Mind your manners, you little bra-”

The smack echoed around the room before anyone could even wince; their Aunt Mabel looked as if she’d just been struck dumb – she probably _had_ , truth be told – and Christopher’s face had gone as purple as an aubergine.

“Mind _my_ manners?” he hissed, and Edward had heard that voice before – it was the voice that came when his brother was preparing to erupt in a violent tirade of fury, when he’d reach deafening levels of sound, when he’d use words that would make a sailor blush. “Mind _your_ manners. I’ve suffered enough in the last fifteen months and I don’t need-”

“ _Coventry, enough!_ ”

A silence filled the room at the exclamation from their mother and an awkward silence crossed the room. Christopher turned, slack-jawed, to his mother and his eyes narrowed.

“I see how it is then,” said Christopher, barely able to keep his voice in check.

“You should have caned him like I suggested, Eliza, then you would not have this insolence.”

“ _Be. Quiet_ ,” hissed Christopher. “You’re drunk. Your opinion has been noted and ignored. Now either finish drinking your wine and go to bed and leave as soon as possible tomorrow morning or just sit here and shut up and-”

“ _Stop it!_ ”

Everyone in the room stared at the clattering sound that joined the exclamation from Edward; face flushed and tearing up, his voice had cracked and he’d thrown down his knife and fork. They clattered off his plate and the knife struck the floor. “Can’t you ever stop arguing?! I don’t care what Chris did! It’s in the past! Move on! One dinner, one peaceful dinner, and we couldn’t even have _that!_ ”

With a sob, he upturned the chair and fled from the room.

“Ed!”

Christopher wasn’t quick enough; when he reached the door to the upstairs bedrooms, Edward was half-way up the stairs. He winced at the ear-splintering, Earth shattering, bone rattling crash that came a few moments later, the indicator that Edward had slammed his bedroom door. A framed photograph on the desk in the hallway toppled to the floor.

“Happy, Mother?” asked Christopher, scooping a piece of coffee cake onto a new plate. “Another dinner ruined by your miserable cow of a sister. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take dessert up to Edward.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

“Ed?” Christopher pushed the door open to his brother’s bedroom. _Since when has it been green?_ he wondered, looking around the room that had changed in his absence. _It was sapphire blue the last time I was in here. At least his action figures are still here. So much has changed. His voice cracks sometimes now and he’s getting facial hair. I missed so much._ “Eddie?”

“Go away!”

Christopher sighed to himself and settled himself on the edge of his brother’s double bed – another change from the single bed he’d had before his incarceration – and reached out for the lump in the bed quilt that he assumed was Edward’s head. He shifted the remaining quilt and put down the plate of cake and the spare fork he’d brought with him. “There’s some cake by your head if you want it?”

Edward’s hard darted out from under the quilt and dragged the cake and plate underneath.

“Look,” said Christopher, running a hand across his face and staring sadly down at his brother’s quilt-clad form. “I’m sorry. I let Aunt Mabel get to me and lost my temper. It happens every time she comes to visit and I know you don’t like it.”

A sniffle came from the bed quilt.

“In the morning, if Aunt Mabel is still here, I’ll hold my temper. I’ll be polite and civil to her – and to Mom and Dad – as long as I get civil replies in return. Alright?” Another sniffle, then a nod. _Better than nothing, I suppose._ “And, in future, if Mom and Dad and I do argue, I’ll make sure you’re not around first, alright? You won’t have to suffer through that again. I’ll leave you to your cake. Make sure you brush your teeth before you go to bed.”

He got up and crossed the room.

“Good night, Ed. See you in the morning. Love you.”

“Night, Chris,” came a quiet voice. “Love you too.”

_Forgiven._

He flicked off the light switch and closed the door.

* * *


	2. Day of the Dino: Part One

* * *

**Chapter II: Day of the Dino:** **Part One**

* * *

**Late 1990s**

A small, mountainous island lay, hidden by fog and machinery, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Few knew of its location: one who did was former Power Ranger, Dr. Thomas Oliver, more commonly known as “Tommy” to his friends.

At this very moment the aforementioned Dr. Oliver was in dire straits, running for his life. Behind him, the corridors and passageways under the island began to explode.

A disgustingly ugly creature came lumbering down the stairs a few corridors behind him. A psychotic and sinister terrorist, Mesogog was a half-human half-dinosaur creature with an elongated grey head, red brows, pointed teeth and clawed and three fingered hands, who was dressed in a black leather outfit.

“Find him. Whatever it takes,” he ordered his just as disgustingly ugly goons, mindless dinosaur creatures known as Tyrannodrones, who were sycophantically bowing to him.

Several more explosions rocked the corridors as the Tyrannodrones thundered after Dr. Oliver. One particularly large explosion rocked the corridor he was thundering down, parts of the roof began to cave in and he was thrown high into the open air through the entrance of the corridor.

Smoke wafted into the air – the whole island was exploding, mountains being torn apart – it was merely a matter of time as to when it sank, not if it sank.

He raced through the woods when two of Mesogog’s Tyrannodrones landed on him, leaping down from the trees. He was knocked into a roll and barely managed to climb back to his feet and prepare to fight when the whole herd of them surrounded him – he was trapped. No matter where he moved, they were going to catch him.

For any normal person this would be the end of the line. But Dr. Oliver was not a normal person: he was a retired Power Ranger. So he did what he did best – he fought, kicking one of the Tyrannodrones in the face as they charged at him – then another. Then he punched two in the face, parried a punch from another, and span around as he aimed a kick.

One of the Tyrannodrones kicked him in the back and knocked him into two others, who grasped him by the arms, trapping him. A third danced in place for a moment, then powered up, and kicked Dr. Oliver straight in the chest, sending him flying out of the grip of the two other Tyrannodrones holding him.

He rolled aside as one leapt at him and spread his legs to avoid another attack just in time. He caught one by the legs with his feet and rolled it through the air, sending it flying, span his leg around to trip over a second and kicked a third in the chest.

He was back – a Power Ranger never forgets what they’ve learned and Dr. Oliver was no different – older and retired, yes, but far from inexperienced or forgetful.

He was in charge now – he fought bravely, fighting off Tyrannodrone after Tyrannodrone, until an explosion rocked the forest behind him, sending him and the Tyrannodrones flying.

A second exploded erupted, sending three more Tyrannodrones flying, one straight into a tree.

The island was on its last rumbles of life – several more mountains exploded and a nearby beach was torn apart, trees toppling with creaking crashes.

He ran.

Bursting from the forest, clothes torn, worn and almost beaten, he skidded to a halt at the edge of the cliff as several Tyrannodrones erupted from the forest behind him.

“Not good,” he said, trapped between a rock and a hard place – the Tyrannodrones or the Pacific Ocean below him.

He hadn’t made his choice of whether to stay and fight or flee when the island made it for him. It exploded with a force as strong as the Atom Bomb and he leapt for his life, swan diving into the ocean below.

Trees and dirt exploded everywhere, splattering the crisp blue surface with debris.

With one final ear-splintering, Earth-shattering, bone-rattling bang, the island sank beneath the surface as Dr. Oliver spluttered from under the water, re-surfaced, and watched it sink into the depths.

For now, at least, he was safe. Well, safer – he still had the elements and whatever lived beneath the surface of the ocean to contend with, but that was much less dangerous than Mesogog and his forces.

**~*~*~*~*~**

**Some Years Later**

The morning of the First of September was much like any other – bright and dry with a slight breeze in the air – as the Haynes brothers walked towards Reefside High School, a large, white stone building on the outskirts of the main town.

The bell rang and Edward jogged away to join his class, raising a hand to wave at his brother, who casually raised a hand back to him, then idled away towards his own class. He had expected the whisperings – he had been responsible for the death of a student, after all – so there was no surprise when they started.

Chris stopped short, however, at the sight of Cassidy Cornwell leaning against his locker. He sighed, shouldered his backpack and strode forward; avoiding the looks he was receiving from other students.

"Cassidy. Cassidy Cornell, Reefside News," the girl said, holding out her hand as Chris reached his locker. He ignored her, eyes on the metal door separating him from his personal belongings, and began to twist the combination lock. Cassidy didn't seem to care that he didn't acknowledge her, as she continued to prattle on. "I was wondering if I could have a few minutes of your time to ask some questions about your incarceration? I'm sure our readers are curious how they considered you for release when the evidence was so damning against you?" she said.

Chris ground his teeth together for a moment, glaring at her. "You're welcome to quote me on this if you like,” he said, angrily. “But leave me alone. I don't particularly care what you or your readers want to know, you won't get a 'scoop' from me.”

Cassidy huffed and turned away. "Did you get that?" she asked Devon. "Great. At least people will see that Haynes doesn't care what he did. All we need is a title - True Colours of a Criminal, maybe? We'll work on it."

Chris clenched his hand into a fist as Cassidy and Devon walked away, the former still talking excitedly about her article, drawing conclusions from answers Chris did not give.

As the pair disappeared around the corner, Chris tried to open his locker, only to find it stuck.

_Bang!_

Silence fell throughout the hall – two teachers, a man in a lab coat and a scary looking middle aged woman, turned at the sound – as everyone turned to the source of the noise. Chris blinked and stared at his fist, still clenched and embedded in his locker door. It creaked open and a small slip of card fluttered out, landing on the floor at his feet.

 _Editor’s Office: 3:30. A. Brooks. Drop a reply in locker 22_ , it read.

“Mr. Haynes,” said the scary looking middle aged woman, approaching him with a file in hand as he picked up the card and pocketed it. “Come with me. I have a truant to pick up, and then he can join you in detention.”

“Can I write a reply to this and put it in the locker on the way?” he asked.

“I suppose so.”

Chris scribbled a reply - _Monday. 3:30. C. Haynes. Locker 78_ \- and stuffed it in the locker as he and Randall passed.

Annoyed, and however reluctantly, Chris followed after her. Two youths were out on the school playing grounds – one looking terrified and wrapped in as much protective gear as possible; the other, dark in both hair and eyes and clad in red, confident and cocksure of himself. Chris recognised the red-clad youth: Conner McKnight, a delinquent much like himself.

“Don’t worry about Randall,” said Conner to the other youth. “She’s a woman. And women are just... grown-up girls.” The youth in goal was making movements across his neck to try and tell Conner to quieten down as Randall was right behind them. “Need I say more?”

“I think you’ve said quite enough, Mr. McKnight,” said Randall.

Conner turned to face them both, words flying by the seat of his pants, fear dancing across his face. “Principal Randall,” he said, flatteringly. “I have heard such great things about you.”

“You have?” asked Chris.

“Vicious rumours, I can assure you,” replied Randall, shooting Chris a look. “Go,” she ordered, gesturing over her shoulder with her head.

“Oh, man...” sighed Conner, slumping away with Chris.

The youth in goal was staring at Randall. “ _What are you looking at_?” she snapped, kicking the ball at him with such a force that he smashed into the back of the net as the two teenagers turned back to her in shock and no small amount of awe. “ _Now get back to class!_ ”

Randall led the two teenagers back towards the school, when singing caught their ears and Randall briefly diverted, gesturing for the twosome to follow her. Conner looked grumpy.

A girl with hazel eyes and mousy brown hair, clad in a yellow shirt, black jacket and blue jeans, was sat on one of the white benched tables, which Chris was sure had been black the last time he’d been in the school, and she was playing a guitar to an enraptured crowd; Chris couldn’t deny her singing was good.

_“I want to know, know when you’re at._

_I’m at the front, but you’re still at the back._

_Oh..._

_Can you tell me where, tell me where you’re at?_

_Freak you out, freak you out._

_Freak you out, freak you out._

_Freak you out, freak you out._

_Freak you out...”_

“Miss Ford,” said Randall, shortly, once the crowd had finished applauding. “I’m afraid you need written permission to perform on school grounds. Let’s go.”

“Are you aware that kids who play an instrument have a fifty percent higher chance of getting into college?” asked the girl, cockily.

“Well,” said Randall, adjusting her glasses and looking Miss Ford once over. “You’re hardly college material, now, are you, Miss Ford. Now, come with me.”

As they crossed the school grounds, Randall, Miss Ford and Conner yelped as the sprinklers went off, spraying everyone on the school grounds in water. “Ooh, a nice cool bath,” muttered Chris. “Good thing I’m wearing pink. No-one will know if it’s see-through or not.”

“Ethan James. I should have known,” growled Randall as Chris held out a handkerchief from his pocket for the girl, who was trying to clean her guitar of water.

“It’s Kira, right?” he asked, holding out a hand. “You had just started when I left. Christopher Haynes.”

“That’s right,” she said, as Randall marched off towards a dark-skinned youth with dark eyes and jet black hair who was smugly walking between the active sprinklers under an umbrella and wearing a blue shirt, denim jacket and jeans. “Kira Ford. I heard a lot about your incarceration from Cassidy. She’s in my home-room. And Science class to.”

“It’s mainly due to Cassidy that I was imprisoned.”

“I’ve seen the footage,” said Kira. “She sent it to all of us. You look terrified in it. Not like someone who intended to kill.”

“Yeah,” interrupted Conner, eavesdropping. “I mean – you did a stupid thing – but I don’t think you’re a killer. Not intentionally anyway.”

“You two are, other than my brother, probably the only two people in the school who think I’m _not_ a killer.”

Now returned with Ethan James, Randall barked for them to follow and led them inside to her office. “ _Sit!_ ” she barked, pointing at the bench outside her office.

“Principal Randall, I’d just like to mention the fact that there’s absolutely no hard evidence linking me to that unfortunate sprinkler incident.”

“Dude, don’t try it,” said Chris. “I tried that with the last principal and went to juvie for fifteen months. It won’t work.”

“Mr. Haynes is right,” said Randall. “Save it for Judge Judy, Mr. James. The four of you have detention... for one week, starting today. Now, if there are no further questions--”

“What? I have Computer Club!” exploded Ethan.

“I didn’t think so,” finished Randall, who then marched into her office.

“Ok, somebody seriously needs a hug,” noted Kira.

“Dude, Computer Club?” asked Conner, disbelievingly, leaning forward on the bench to look past Kira.

“Be nice,” said Chris, swatting Conner over the back of the head. “He’s a geek – so what?”

**~*~*~*~*~**

When the morning ended and lunch rolled around, Chris, Conner, Ethan and Kira were all waiting outside of Principal Randall’s office - Conner had changed clothes; his shirt was still red, but he wore a loose fitting patterned flannel shirt over the top and moss-green trousers. Randall approached from the side stairs, talking to a man in a lab coat: “Perfect, bring the little monsters with you. That should be sufficient torture for them. You’ve all met I trust.”

“Uh, no, not quite,” said Chris to the man in the lab-coat. “You’re not my Science teacher. That’s Miss Winchester, y’know? Christopher Haynes.” He held out a hand.

“Dr. Oliver,” said the man, shaking the hand.

“Well, enjoy your little outing,” said Randall nastily, stalking away.

“So, you guys like museums?” asked Dr. Oliver, taking off his glasses.

“I can take them or leave them,” noted Chris as Dr. Oliver led them out of the school. “I got lost in one once – set every burglar alarm off trying to get out - caused _quite_ a commotion. As long as you don’t intend to lock me in, I’m all good.”

Dr. Oliver ushered them into his jeep, a roofless, black vehicle, and sped off towards the museum.

“Whoa, check out the T-Rex!” said Ethan as the museum came into view after about fifteen minutes of driving.

“That’s weird,” said Dr. Oliver as they came across the entrance to the museum bound in chains, a sign reading _Sorry, We’re Closed_ padlocked to the chains.

“Oh, well, no museum for us,” said Conner, cheerfully.

“Great, let’s go home,” added Kira, shoving her hands into her pockets.

“I’ll tell you what – why don’t you guys have a look around the grounds?” said Dr. Oliver, staring up at the museum. “If any of you guys find anything prehistoric, I’ll cancel detention for the week.”

“Sweet,” said Ethan.

Dr. Oliver gestured at the museum. “I’m going to see if I can find somebody who can tell us when they’re opening up.”

The foursome shrugged and walked away. “So, let me get this straight – they have a club just for computers?” asked Conner.

“Yes,” said Ethan.

“That’s the supply closets they knocked through a few months ago, isn’t it?” asked Chris. “I stored some fireworks in there a few months back – long story – I’ll tell you on the way. They were just putting them in then.”

“You stored fireworks in the Computer Club?”

“Hey, who do you think was responsible for that student death last year?” asked Chris. “Not proud of it, wasn’t intentional. But, yes, I stored fireworks in the Computer Club – stole them from my neighbour’s house and hid the under the loose floorboard in the middle of the room – set them off at home room – what a disaster that was. Cassidy caught the whole thing on camera – her “evidence” was used to convict me, biased though it was.”

“That’s horrible,” noted Conner. “Didn’t the judge take that into account?”

“I _was_ guilty of larceny too,” noted Chris. “I never denied _that_ part.”

Conner snorted and they entered the forest near the museum.

“Hey, did you guys ever hear the one about the guy who was hiking up here and fell in the giant sinkhole?” asked Ethan.

“No,” admitted Chris.

“Must have missed that one,” admitted Kira, looking around between the trees.

“Come on, it was on _all_ the urban legend websites!”

“Dude, you know this isn’t Computer Club, right?” said Conner, effectively ending the conversation.

“Oh, I guess you’re too big and bad to surf the web,” mocked Ethan. “Well, what do you do in your spare time?”

“Me?” asked Conner, hands in his pockets as he casually wandered along. “I go out with girls. You know, they’re the ones at school that smell really good, with the long hair and the makeup.”

“Oh, it’s like _that_ is it?” asked Ethan, using his hand to stop Conner from walking.

“Yeah,” said Conner, stepping forward so that he and Ethan were closer. “It’s like _that._ ”

“Excuse me, my hair is long!” noted Chris, separating the two and gesturing to his own floor length hair. “And I’m not a girl. We don’t _all_ keep our hair at ear length like you, Conner! Some of us can’t be arsed to cut it – well, that and my parents hate it – my last little act of rebellion, I suppose, while I spend this year being a ‘good boy’ for the school board.”

“Whatever,” muttered Kira, rolling her eyes at the three men she had been lumped with.

Conner scoffed, turned away from Ethan, and followed after her.

“All I’m trying to do is give you guys the heads-up,” noted Ethan loudly to them. “Stuff happens out here. Just don’t come crying to me when you fall in a giant sinkhole! Ugh!”

As if the universe was laughing at him, the ground gave out under him.

“Whoa!”

“Ahh!”

“Get off me!”

Conner, Kira and Chris had fallen with him – before them stretched a cave as far as the eye could see.

“Alright,” said Conner, staring up at the sun shining in through the hole they had fallen down. “You guys stay here where it’s safe. I’ll climb up and come back with help.”

“No rush,” admitted Chris. “I’ve spent fifteen months in a white cell. This is totally fine with me! Well, apart from the fact that I can’t see anything except my hand.”

Conner moved to the wall and began to climb. He’d barely left the ground before part of the cave wall snapped and came away in his hand, sending him tumbling to the floor.

“Back already?” asked Ethan sarcastically as he and the others moved to help Conner to his feet.

“Guess we’d better start walking then?” suggested Ethan. “You can’t see anything?” he asked, falling into line next to Chris.

“No,” admitted Chris. “The prank I was telling you about – the one with the fireworks – it left me partially blind. I’m lucky if I can see a thing in here, so be prepared to catch me if I fall.”

Kira began to sing as they rounded a corner.

“ _Freak you out, freak you out._

 _Freak you out, freak you out._ ”

“Babe, can you keep it down?” asked Conner. “I’m trying to stay focused here.”

“Did you just call me ‘babe’?” fumed Kira. She whirled to Ethan and Chris. “Did he just call me ‘babe’?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Ethan. “I wasn’t listening. I was chatting with Chris.”

“And I can’t pay attention to you and Ethan _and_ watch where I’m going, so I had to tune you out so I didn’t break a leg.”

Kira angrily stalked away, standing in front of a dust covered Conner. “What?” he asked, looking down at her. “Just chill out, why don’t you?”

“Listen,” she said, pointing angrily at him. “My name is Kira. Maybe you should write it on your hand or something, so you can remember.”

They kept walking and came to a cave wall with a large Tyrannosaurus fossil on it.

“This screams ‘Jurassic Park’ to me,” muttered Kira.

“Oh, I hope they make more sequels,” muttered Chris. The other three stared at him. “What? I liked those movies! I mean, yeah, that scene with the Spinosaurus was a bit controversial, I suppose, but still - I liked it!”

“This will get us out of detention forever!” said Conner, gleefully as he reached out to grab the Tyrannosaurus Rex jaw.

“Do you think you should--?”

“Oh...”

A wall was rising before them – the room that was revealed looked like the inside of an alien mother-ship.

“I could do a crazy video in here,” admitted Kira, spinning around as she walked into the room.

“I think I found my brother’s Christmas present,” admitted Chris, staring at some bone remains on a nearby desk. He picked up the book next to it and flicked it open, reading through the page labelled: _Spinosaurus._

“Whoa. Ha. This must be like the mother-ship for you, dude?” noted Conner to Ethan.

“Normally, I’d be insulted,” admitted Ethan. “But when you’re right, you’re right. Yo, don’t touch that!”

Chris looked up from the book and glanced across. Conner was reaching for a sparkling glowing red orb sat in what looked to be a smoking meteor with three others – pink, blue and yellow. “Ooh, pink!” Chris said, leading down and admiring it.

“Why not?” asked Conner to Ethan.

“You really are taking this ‘dumb jock’ thing to a whole new level,” sighed Ethan.

“Look,” said Conner frustrated at Ethan. “I have sat through enough lame Science classes to know that thing looks fully prehistoric. And if I don’t have to miss practice--”

“I hate to agree with him – really, I do – but I already missed out on rehearsal.”

“I suppose I do have to go home,” admitted Chris. “As much as I hate my parents, I’d never willingly leave my brother with them...”

However reluctantly, Ethan reached out to the blue glowing orb, as his new friends did the same for the others, which flew right into their hands.

“Well, what are they?” asked Kira, examining the gem.

“I can go online later and see if I can find out,” admitted Ethan, twisting his orb between his fingers.

“You in front of a computer – wait, let me put on my surprised face,” snickered Conner, making a silly face.

“You know, ten years from now when your hairline’s receding and you’ve got a beer gut and you’re playing pick-up soccer in the park because your dreams of turning pro never quite worked out, I’ll have my own multi-billion-dollar software company. Yeah...” shot Ethan back at Conner; Chris snickered.

Kira began to walk away.

“Where are you going?” asked Ethan.

“I don’t want to think about what kind of a freak lives in a place like this, and I sure don’t want to be here when it gets home.”

“She has a point,” admitted Chris, pocketing his orb and rushing after her.

“Right behind ya,” said Conner as he and Ethan followed. They headed down a passageway, then another, had to turn back at a dead end and then left at a fork in the cave.

“This way!” called Ethan, rushing to the head of the group and out into the sun as they reached the end of the cave corridor. “A compass,” he muttered. “We need a compass. Anyone bring a compass?”

“I’m terrible at directions,” admitted Chris. “I get lost just walking to my bedroom from the kitchen.”

“Ohh, I was going to bring one,” said Conner sarcastically.

As they stepped up out of the sunken cave entrance and emerged back into the forest, a loud roaring noise echoed.

“Ohh, that’s not good,” said Chris. “It sounds big. And close. And hungry. I like Jurassic Park, but I have no intention of getting eaten like a lawyer!”

“What was that?”

“The wind?” suggested Kira.

“That ain’t the wind,” admitted Ethan, as a second roar echoed through the trees. “ _As much as we’d like it to be, it ain’t_.”

A flash of green exploded in front of them and hordes of disgustingly ugly dinosaur like creatures with elongated heads and clawed appendages appeared out of nowhere, all spoiling for a fight as they surrounded them

“What the hell are they?” breathed Chris.

“Don’t... move...” suggested Conner.

“Great idea,” hissed Kira. “Make it easy for them.”

“New plan – run!” cried Ethan, and the foursome took off running. They reached a ditch in the ground, about as tall as two humans; Conner and Ethan leapt the gap and Chris made it by the skin of his toes, grasping the nearby tree to heave himself up, but Kira wasn’t so lucky, tumbling into the ditch below.

The three boys skidded to a halt, turning and rushing back.

“Here!”

“Come on!”

They reached for her, Ethan and Conner taking her by the arms as Chris picked up a stone and hurled it across the gap at the creatures.

It was just in time – as Ethan and Conner heaved Kira free from the ditch, one of the creatures leapt in after her. The Foursome took off in a run.

Kira toppled, tripping over her feet as she stared back at one of the creatures, and was swarmed by them. She screamed – sound waves exploded from her mouth and the creatures were knocked high into the air.

The three boys shrieked in pain at the noise and rushed back to help her. “Help her up.”

“Here, I got you, Kira,” said Chris, heaving her to her feet.

“What... was _that?_ ” asked Ethan.

“I have no idea!”

The orb in Kira’s pocket began to glow an iridescent yellow. For a moment, all four of them were enraptured by it, and then one of the creatures roared.

“Scatter!” cried Chris. “Meet back at the jeep!”

The four scrambled and scattered; Chris leapt a rock, ducked past a low hanging tree branch and then tripped over a fallen log.

“Oof!” he cried. “Who leaves a log in the forest? People are meant to clean this place out!”

He was surrounded; he clambered to his feet and readied himself to fight, raising his fists. “Fine then. You want a fight? Bring it.”

He closed his eyes and imagined he was back in ballet class. He placed his hands together above his head and spun in a circle, swinging out a leg as one of the creatures rushed at him, roaring loudly. He felt his foot collide with its face and swung his fists wildly at two more, still spinning on one leg. One of the creatures struck out at his leg and he fell backwards, wrenching his eyes open and cart wheeling away from the danger, albeit briefly.

“This is hopeless!” he cried, ducking under a thick scaly arm. “I take out one and two more turn up.”

He latched onto a third arm of another creature, and used it to swing himself up, into the air. The creature looked up and aimed his clenched fist at Chris; there was a split-second pause before a bright flash erupted from the blaster attached to the creature’s wrist. Chris covered his face with his arm as he landed back on the ground, but felt nothing in terms of pain from an attack. He hesitated, slowly lowering his arm and looking.

He was, somehow, behind the creature, which was looking from side-to-side in confusion. “Behind you,” Chris said, tapping the creature on the shoulder, and then slamming his fist into his face.

“Over here!”

He turned and ran, reaching the others within moments. “Yeah,” breathed Ethan. “How much do I love detention?”

“Dudes – and Dudette, I suppose? – I just teleported! This is cool! I could get used to this! I can sleep in!”

“Hey!” Dr. Oliver was rushing towards them. The foursome shared a quick glance and then pocketed their gems quietly and quickly. “Are you guys alright?” he asked, reaching them.

“Yeah,” said Ethan. “Couldn’t be better.”

“No problems here. Why?” lied Chris.

“Nothing out of the ordinary happened?” asked Dr. Oliver, looking between them.

“Nah,” said Ethan, frowning in disagreement. “Just your routine hike in the woods. Lots of furry little creatures.”

“And a few scaly ones,” muttered Kira.

Dr. Oliver looked shocked, realising what she’d said, but Conner was quicker. “So, did you get into the Dino Exhibit?” he asked.

“Uh... they’re still working the kinks out,” he said, glancing anxiously around the forest. “We better get you guys back. Come on.”

He headed off, the foursome following.

“Don’t you guys think we should tell him?” suggested Kira, quietly.

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve got over a thousand sci-fi DVDs. You want to know how many times the dude with the superpowers ends up in some freaky government lab lying on a table with wires in his head!” cried Ethan.

“Even _I_ know that,” admitted Conner.

“Agreed,” said Chris. “Telling – _bad idea_. You know Randall would sell us to the government to make the school famous!”

“Are you guys coming?” called Dr. Oliver.

They picked up the pace, following Dr. Oliver back to his jeep. The journey back to school passed by in silence – Dr. Oliver dropped them off, parked the jeep and headed off towards the Science classroom.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Once the school day ended, the foursome met up. Conner was passing a ball between his hands anxiously.

“Okay, so we all agree. No-one talks about this to anyone, no matter what.”

“Yeah,” agreed Chris. “Mom and Dad would kill me if I put Ed in danger by blabbing.”

“I can do better than that,” said Kira, turning to the others. “I’m out of it.” She dropped the orb into Conner’s hand. “Just forget I was here, and I’ll do the same.”

“Wait, how come _he_ gets it?” moaned Ethan.

“Well, here.” Kira shifted the orb into Ethan’s hand.

“You could always stay?” asked Chris. “I hate to admit it, but this is more friends than I’ve ever had in my entire schooling year.”

“What about the group you had last year?”

“Kali and the others? No – Kali’s in prison for Grand Theft Auto; Aliyah’s in Portugal with her parents and Adelaide’s in the South of France on an exchange programme – and, besides, they were never friends anyway. Just the bunch of fellow delinquents I hung around with. And why does Ethan get that? _I’m_ the handsome one.”

“Ugh, fine,” moaned Kira, handing him the gem. “You know what? I give up!”

She huffed away, leaving the three boys watching her go. Chris yelped as the disgustingly ugly creatures they’d fought in the forest before leapt from the bush and grabbed Kira.

“Kira!” cried Conner and the threesome took off in a sprint towards their friends.

“We’re coming!”

“Kira!”

It was too late – by the time they’d reached her location both she and the creatures had vanished in a flash of green.

“She’s gone!” cried Ethan.

“We’ve got to find someone to help!” cried Chris. “Can either of you drive? I got my learner’s permit before I was away, but I need an adult in the car.”

“I can drive!” said Conner. “Come on!”

The threesome raced into the parking lot. Conner plunged his hands into his pockets and pulled out a key-chain, which he thrust into the key hole on the side of a nearby bright red mustang.

“Dude, is this yours?”

“Seventeenth birthday present,” said Conner. “My brother got a Mazda.”

“Cool!”

The threesome scrambled in and Conner hit the gas. The car screeched out of the school parking lot, skidding on the corner.

“Are you sure you can drive? I don’t want to die in a Mustang!” cried Chris, grasping the backseat arm rest.

“I can drive!” called Conner. “So, where are we going?” he asked Ethan.

“Dr Oliver’s.”

“What’s he gonna do?” cried Chris and Conner.

“He’s a dinosaur guy. These things are dinosaurs. Sort of.”

“Alright, so, where does he live?”

“1992 Valencia Road,” said Ethan, checking his touch pad.

“Valencia Road?” said Chris, leaning forward between the seats. “That’s in the middle of nowhere – the back end of beyond - way out in middle of the woods!” Conner put his foot down; Chris was thrown back into the seat. “I’m gonna die in a Mustang!” he cried.

Finally, after what felt like he’d been strapped into a roller-coaster and then shoved in a blender, the Mustang skidded to a halt outside a quaint little house at the end of a lane.

The threesome burst from the car as quickly as they could and raced up the front steps. Conner peered in through a window, while Ethan thumped on the door.

“Any sign of him?” cried Chris, popping his head around the side of the house from where he’d been staring in through the downstairs bathroom window.

“Knock again!” ordered Conner to Ethan.

He did so – no reply. The house was silent. Something was _definitely wrong._

“Now what?” he asked, as Chris reached them from the side of the house.

Conner pushed on the front door. It swung open with an ominous creak, revealing a large, wooden floored hallway with a shoe-rack, a fern-like plant and a staircase; light poured into the dark hallway through one open door.

“What are you doing?”

“Why would he leave it unlocked?” wondered Conner.

“He’s got no neighbours,” replied Ethan.

“What, you’ve never heard of the three bears?” sniped Conner.

He headed inside.

“Is that the last book you read?” shot Ethan back into the dark abyss of the hallway.

“Stop joking,” said Chris. “Both of you. Something’s wrong – Conner’s right – why _would_ he leave it unlocked? Anyone could wander in – like us.” He followed Conner inside. “Why do I feel like I’m stepping into a horror movie all of a sudden?”

“Dr. Oliver?”

“Hello?”

“Mr-Science-Teacher-I-wish-I-had-Instead-Of-Miss-Winchester? You here?!”

The threesome had stepped into a well decorated room. The floor was wooden with a blue rug on it; the walls were wooden too, but the bottom quarters had been painted red, divided by a wooden separator. A desk sat below an enormous shelf of books and fancily decorated plates. A laptop was perched on the desk in front of a swivel chair and a squishy looking sofa by a television sat in the corner. By the door they’d entered was a rack of CDs with a Triceratops skull on top.

A large table crafted from oak filled the middle of the room, finishing it off perfectly.

“Guys, check it out.”

Conner had reached a small Tyrannosaurus skeleton on a stand on the oak-crafted table. He reached out to touch the jaw.

Ethan smacked his arm. “Hey, remember what happened last time you did that?”

“Dude, the guy’s a teacher, not -”

The jaw went slack; Chris leapt aside as the floor under him began to move and a flower patterned trap-door swung open, revealing a staircase down.

“Bloody hell!”

“- Batman...” finished Conner.

“Come on. Let’s see.” Chris descended the stairs; it was the mother-ship looking room that they’d been in before, where they’d found the sparkling orbs. “Well, smack my mother and call me stupid...”

“This is the same place!” breathed Ethan.

“Are you freaking out right now?”

“Yeah,” agreed Chris. “I’d have to say I am.”

The threesome turned, staring around the room, barely able to believe their eyes at what they were seeing.

“If you’re looking for extra credit, you’re in the wrong place.”

“ _AAH_ – don’t _do_ that – I nearly had a heart attack.” Chris leapt out of his skin, clutching his heart as he, Ethan and Conner whirled around.

The man behind them was a familiar, but no less worrying sight: Dr. Oliver.

They were really in trouble now...

* * *


	3. Day of the Dino: Part Two

* * *

**Chapter III: Day Of The Dino: Part Two**

* * *

“Dr. O, before you go off, can we explain why we’re here?”

“Dude, he’s just gonna laugh when we tell him!” hissed Chris, slapping Ethan’s arm. “This was a terrible idea. _I nearly died in a Mustang for this_!”

“It’s the truth! He’ll believe us!” protested Ethan.

“Alright...” agreed Conner, reluctantly, cutting off the other two’s argument. He looked directly at Dr. O. “Kira’s gone.”

“She got taken by these weird-looking dinosaur things,” explained Ethan, quickly.

Dr. O’s face changed – was that annoyance? Confusion? Disbelief?

“He doesn’t look convinced,” said Chris, nudging Ethan. “I nearly died for _nothing_!”

Conner shot him a look of annoyance.

“They’re called Tyrannodrones,” said Dr. O, turning away from the trio as he began to explain.

“And you know that, because...?” prodded Ethan.

The threesome began to follow Dr. O as he paced around the room. “I helped create them.”

“Oh, class project?”

“It’s a long story.” Dr. O turned back to the group. “For now, we gotta figure out what they want with Kira.

“It... might have something to do with these.”

Together, as if struck by the same epiphany, the threesome plunged their hands into their pockets and held out their palms – the orbs they’d picked up sat there, glistening gently. Dr. O took the yellow one – Kira’s one – and began pacing again.

For a moment, none of the others spoke and then, finally, Conner piped up again. “We’re really sorry,” he began quietly, but then it was like a fire lit in him. “How were we supposed to know those things had, like, _superpowers_ and those lizard dudes were gonna come looking for ‘em?”

“I guess it isn’t exactly something you see every day,” noted Dr. O.

“Sort of like a Science teacher with the ruins of an ancient civilisation under his house?”

“Like, not that this isn’t all really cool, but, seriously, dude, you gotta come clean,” acknowledged Conner as Dr. O began to pace again.

“He has a point. A lot of this is because we knew nothing,” said Chris. “Perhaps if we had, we wouldn’t have picked them up. Even if teleporting is really cool.”

“Okay, first of all, don’t call me ‘Dude’,” ordered Dr. O to Conner. “Second, as hard as this may seem, you three need to forget all about this. I’ll find Kira.”

Connor clenched his jaw as Dr. O walked away and then rushed forward in a blur of red, cutting him off from walking away.

“Ah, no you don’t!” Chris moved to help, to stop Dr. O leaving, when everything went black and then he was standing behind Dr. O, his arms crossed across his chest – there was no way Dr. O could move without one of them getting in the way. “Okay, it’s really cool, but also incredibly weird. It’s like being sucked down a little pipe and dropped in a new place.”

“The Gem’s powers are already starting to bond with you,” noted Dr. O, somewhat impressed.

“You can tell us all about it now or at my next parent-teacher conference,” threatened Conner.

“Alright,” sighed Dr. O. “I’ll explain on the way. Outside.”

He led them outside and crowded them all into his jeep – Ethan in the front seat, Chris and Conner in the back. Chris’s hair blew in the wind as the jeep sped along.

They were halfway back to school, sat in awkward silence, before Ethan finally spoke: “So, when you said you helped create those Tyranno-whatevers, you were just kidding, right?”

“They weren’t supposed to be used like this. Someone has modified their programming. A few years back, I was doing research on combining dinosaur DNA with technology. My partner, a scientist named Anton Mercer—”

“—The rich guy who disappeared years ago?”

“—I remember that,” said Chris, leaning between the chairs. “It was in the paper. _Scientist Vanishes In Island Explosion._ That was you? My Dad mentioned in over the breakfast table. I think my brother still has the news article somewhere. He keeps old things like that.”

“—Yep,” acknowledged Tommy. “Shortly after Mercer disappeared, our lab was attacked. All of our research was destroyed. Or, at least, I thought it was.”

“And the guy who did this is back?” commented Conner.

“He calls himself Mesogog,” admitted Tommy as he pulled the jeep to a halt outside the forest they’d been in earlier in the day.

“And you think he’s after the Gems?”

“Looks like it.”

“This is all totally fascinating,” admitted Ethan, shaking his head. “But how is it helping us find Kira?” He peered into the backseat to Chris and Conner. “I mean, she’s not just gonna fall out of the sky and land right in front of us.”

There was a flash of green and Kira smashed down onto the bonnet.

“How the hell did you do that?” breathed Chris to Ethan as they scrambled out of the jeep. “Can you conjure me up some pizza next? Fifteen months... and no pizza...”

“How did _you_ do that?” Ethan asked Kira, ignoring Chris.

“I have no idea!” admitted Kira as Conner and Ethan helped her off the bonnet. “One minute I’m being chased by Franken-Lizard through this creepy lab, and the next thing I know, I’m a hood ornament.”

“Invisi-Portals.”

“Whatever. Next time I’m calling a cab,” replied Kira. Then, she frowned. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We came to rescue you,” Ethan admitted as Conner blew air from his cheeks and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“Nice job. Way to show up when I don’t need you anymore.”

Another flash of green – and there they were – the Tyrannodrones – right at the end of the street – ready to charge.

“You sure about that?” asked Chris, taking a fighting position in front of his friends.

Tommy stepped in front of them. “Mesogog find a new goon to do his dirty work?” he spat at the armoured, vaguely human shaped, shield wielding thing at the head of the horde of Tyrannodrones.

“You are not fit to speak my Master’s name!” boomed the creature, in a deep guttural voice. “Come with me peacefully or suffer the consequences.”

“I’m gonna have to say: No.”

The humanoid creature roared and the fight began. The Tyrannodrones charged; Chris ducked and swung, missing; one of the Tyrannodrones punched him in the face and knocked him back into the driver’s seat of the car. Clutching at his nose, he splat blood in the creature’s face, feeling it drip down the front of his shirt and kicked out with his feet, pushing himself back upright.

“You alright?” he called; ducking a clawed appendage as Dr. O came smashing down onto the back of the jeep.

“Fine!” replied Dr. O as he pulled himself into a sitting position, kicked out, and then used the back of the jeep to jump over a Tyrannodrone and land behind it.

“Right!”

Chris swung for one Tyrannodrone and was caught mid-punch by another. “Oi! Get off me! How does this teleporting thing work? I managed it in the lab – think. I need to stop this thing, like I did Dr. O – Oh!” He was behind the creature, lying flat on his back on the road. “Oh... like that, I suppose? I’ll get used to it eventually.”

He scrambled to his feet and took his fighting stance behind Dr. O as he confronted the armour clad vaguely humanoid creature.

“Make sure you tell your Master, Dr. Oliver’s back.”

“I will inform him this battle is over, but the war has only just begun!” boomed the creature, threateningly.

And, with that, the Tyrannodrones and their general vanished in a flash of green.

“That’s the best he could do?” taunted Ethan.

“I dink I dit by dongue!” said Chris, clutching his nose painfully. “Dothing doken.”

“Let’s get out of here,” said Dr. Oliver, handing him a wet-wipe from the box in the glove compartment of the car. “It’s getting late.”

“I don’t want your parents to worry.”

“Dey won’t. Bine hate be.”

“I bet you don’t,” said Conner, exhaustedly. “You might have to explain something.”

“I’ll fill you in tomorrow after school, I promise,” assured Dr. Oliver. He ushered them into the jeep. “Is your nose alright? Nothing broken?”

“Just bleeding,” said Chris, mopping at his nose and shirt as Dr. Oliver started the ignition. “Quite a left hook. I’ll be fine. Nothing’s broken, thankfully.”

Dr. Oliver dropped each of them at home – first Ethan, then Kira, and, finally, Chris; Conner had driven himself home. “Your parents own this place?” he asked, staring up at the bookshop.

“Yeah,” said Chris. “It’s not much, but it’s home. I missed having books to read while I was away.”

“I saw the footage,” said Dr. Oliver, clapping a hand to his shoulder. “The school board showed me it before they hired me – a warning of what I was getting into with you. You’re not a killer – not by choice, at least.”

“Aren’t I?” asked Chris. He took a deep breath, looked up to the darkening sky and sighed. His eyes were watery when he met Dr. Oliver’s. Everything came out in a jumble, uncontrolled, as he poured the truth out to a man he’d barely met, yet, for some reason, trusted outright – he knew how to fight too well to be innocent and misunderstanding. “Dr. Oliver, there’s something I have to tell you – I haven’t told anyone – not Conner or Ethan or Kira – I can’t – I’d lose them – they’re my friends, they’d never forgive me – and not my family – _my brother would hate me forever_ – and definitely not the court – look – the only part of the prank that was an accident was that someone died; the prank itself was premeditated. A student was hit and suffered fifth degree burns and then died in hospital while I was away. The person who was _supposed_ to be the victim of the prank was old Principal Rathbone. I hated him and he hated me. It was my revenge after what I saw as torture. But someone else got in the way by mistake. I timed it wrong – triggered the prank too early – people were coming out of home room – I couldn’t stop the firework after it’d gone off.”

“Chris...”

“I’m a killer, Dr. O. I’m not ready to admit that to anyone else yet. But I know you’ll keep quiet. There’s... something... in you that understands, I think? But I won’t blame you if you think I’m not worthy of this...” He dropped the pink Gem back into Dr. O’s hand, choking back a sob.

“Chris – look – so you made a mistake? We’ve all done that. We’ve all done or said something we regret but were too late to stop it. You regret it, don’t you?”

“I do,” sniffed Chris, wiping away tears. “An innocent died and – I never wanted that – I hated myself. I _hate myself._ ”

“Then you’re worthy of this,” said Dr. Oliver, placing the Gem back into Chris’s hand and closing his fingers over it. “You’re not unrepentant and, who knows, maybe it’ll work better now that you’ve gotten that off your chest?”

“Maybe. Everything’s been so jumbled in my head – I argue all the time with my parents – I shamed the family name, all that jazz, you know?”

“I-”

“ _Chris!_ ”

“Oof, not so tight, squirt. You’re not a twelve year old anymore. You’ll crush me. Dr. Oliver, this is my brother, Edward. In a few years, you might be teaching him Science, if you’re still around.”

“Are you alright?” Edward was staring up at his brother, not that there was that much of a height difference between them – barely a head – and was frowning deeply. “You’re bleeding. And crying.”

“Not anymore. I was. Dr. Oliver sorted it all for me.”

“Oh.” Edward turned to Dr. Oliver, shifting in his brother’s one armed embrace. “Thanks for looking after my brother. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble?”

“And what do you mean by _that_?” asked Chris, grasping his brother into a headlock and performing a noogie onto his head. “I’m an angel!”

“Chris, get off! Hey! Get off! Let go!”

“Never! You’re my prisoner now!”

Dr. Oliver laughed as Chris heaved his brother over his shoulder and led him, Edward kicking and punching and flailing against his back, into the house.

**~*~*~*~*~**

The next day was much like any other normal school day – long and boring; English passed relatively quietly barring a few snide comments about his return to school, French passed in a drone and then Math class arrived.

“And, so, if we divide the fraction by—”

The school rumbled, almost as if hit by an Earth quake, and students were thrown from their chairs.

“What the hell?” breathed Chris, scrambling to his feet. The sky had gone black and the most violent storm he’d ever seen in his life had apparently arrived, as if out of the blue.

Chris seized his chance – with old Professor Dingleberry distracted, he dashed from the classroom, sprinted along the hall, passed Devin and Cassidy, who failed to notice him due to being so busy talking about “The scoop of the century, Devin!” and shoved his way through the students fleeing from Dr. Oliver’s classroom.

The PA system squeaked into life and Principal Randall’s voice came through the speaker: “ _Students, remain calm. The Mayor has declared a state of emergency. Please report to the front of the school for immediate dismissal._ _Again, remain calm_.”

“Now would be a good time to have that little chat!” he exclaimed, bursting onto the classroom. “Have you seen the sky!?”

“We’re outta time,” admitted Dr. Oliver. “If Mesogog revived the Biozords, we gotta act fast. Come with me.”

“I – hey – _what’s a Biozord?!_ ”

“What’s the worst that could happen?” asked Ethan.

“We die!” cried Chris, rushing after his friends. “That’s what! We could die – I’ve only just got my freedom back – _I don’t want to die_! _Guys!_ ”

They weren’t listening. Dr. Oliver ushered them into his jeep and slammed the accelerator so hard that Conner had to catch Chris to stop him from falling off the back.

They skidded to a halt outside Dr. Oliver’s house – he was too tense to answer questions the group were shooting at him – and he ushered them into the dark, ruin filled room they’d been in before.

“So these mechanical dinosaurs— they’re your friends?” asked Kira as they descended the stairs.

“Biozords – fusion-powered replicants using actual dinosaur DNA for their neurofunctions.”

“So... Jurassic Park?” suggested Chris, causing Dr. Oliver to turn back to the group. “Only with robots? On steroids?”

“Wait, let me guess,” began Ethan, cutting Chris off. “You helped build them.”

“I’m afraid so,” said Dr. Oliver, rushing up to a computer in the back of the room. “But right now we – I mean _you_ have to tame them.”

“I – we – _what!?_ No. _No way!_ Dr. O, I’m a _killer_. I can’t be trusted with that power – _you know I can’t!_ ” Chris began pacing anxiously, wringing his hands together; Conner clapped a hand affectionately on his shoulder and his head snapped up to Conner. “You _know_ I can’t. You _know! You’ve seen what I did._ ”

“Chris, wait.” Dr. Oliver descended the steps to his computer, cutting off both Conner’s comforting and Chris’s panicking. “You can do this. But you won’t have to do it alone. Ever since I found the Dino Gems, I’ve had these waiting, in case I ever needed to harness their powers.”

“Into what?” asked Kira as Dr. Oliver opened a box.

Four sparkling wrist devices, all with the heads of various dinosaurs sat inside, all in different colours – red, blue, yellow and pink.

“Dino Morphers. Use these to become Power Rangers.”

“I gotta – I gotta sit down.” Chris’s breathing stopped for a moment and he paled. Conner leapt forward, a hand on his arm and back, as he bent double and vomited from shock into a hastily provided waste paper basket provided by Conner.

“Breathe, Dude,” said Conner, gently, running a hand over his back in circles.

“We can’t be Power Rangers,” said Kira.

“– _See_ , someone with brains – _bluergh_ –”

“Aren’t you supposed to fly or have superhuman strength and stuff like that?”

“You _do_ ,” reminded Dr. Oliver.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot,” admitted Kira.

“Your Gems are from the asteroid that crashed into Earth millions of years ago, wiping out the entire dinosaur population,” continued Dr. Oliver. “When I found them, I recognised their power and hid them – so they wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“How do you know _these_ are the right hands?” said Chris, mopping his face with a handkerchief and pushing away the vomit filled waste paper basket.

“The Gems are yours. You didn’t choose them. They chose you.”

“Can’t it _un_ choose me?”

“They’ve already bonded with your DNA,” said Dr. Oliver, passing them and crossing the room back to his computer. “That’s what’s giving you your powers.”

“So if they already bonded with us, how come Mesogog and his creeps are still after them?” asked Ethan.

“The only way these powers can be taken away... is if you’re destroyed.”

“ _Bucket_!” cried Chris, retching again and diving for the waste paper basket.

“Okay, for future reference, that’s not a great selling point,” acknowledged Ethan, wincing as Chris retched and expelled vomit into the basket.

“Look,” said Conner. “All I know is: I don’t remember asking to be a superhero.”

“The Gems wouldn’t have bonded to you if you didn’t already have something inside you that could handle the power.” Dr. Oliver crossed the room again, returning to the box. “Please,” he said, pushing the box to them.

Conner, Ethan and Kira picked theirs up – Conner passed a pink one to Chris, who, reluctantly, still shaking from vomiting and fear, took it.

“So now what?” asked Ethan. “Do we need some kind of secret password or command?”

“All you have to do is say _‘Dino Thunder, Power Up’_ and you’ll be transformed. You’ll know what to do.”

“Dino Thunder. What, did _you_ come up with that?” asked Conner, sarcastically, to Ethan.

“I kinda like it.”

“You would.”

“Look, I know you four are from different worlds – I get it – but you’re going to have to work together, or this will never happen. This won’t be easy. Nobody knows that better than I do. But you’re going to have to believe in yourselves – all of you –” Dr. Oliver met Chris’s shaking, pale face. “–because I believe in you.”

“Really?” asked Chris.

“Really.”

“Alright,” said Chris, tightening his grip. “Let’s go. I think I’m ready.”

Dr. Oliver drove them, all four sat in silence, realising what this meant, to the downtown mall, where four large metallic dinosaurs – a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Triceratops, a Pteranodon and a Spinosaurus – were rampaging.

“Okay, this is it,” he said, as they leapt from the car.

“That must be them!” breathed Conner.

“They’re huge!” breathed Chris.

“Wow, good call guys,” said Kira, sarcastically.

A flash of red swarmed their vision and it was back – the Tyrannodrone general they’d seen Dr. Oliver fight before – metal and ominous.

“You’ll have to get past me before you get those Zords!” he boomed.

“That’s the part I’m looking forward too,” bragged Conner.

“You guys ready?” asked Chris. “Because I’m terrified.”

“Ready.”

“Oh, yeah,” agreed Kira.

Conner stepped forward and raised his left arm to chest height; the other three repeated it. “Ready?!”

“ _READY!_ ” bellowed the threesome together back.

In unison, the foursome squeezed the back of the Dino Morphers, threw their right arms back and then brought their left up to meet it.

“ _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!”_ they cried, bringing their left arm back and slamming their right hand palms down onto the device.

Before their eyes they changed – white under armour covered them from neck to toes. They crossed their arms diagonally over themselves, separated them, and back flipped into the air, crashing down into a split legged pose as armor flew onto them and a helmet covered their face.

“Whoa!”

“This totally rocks!”

“Why does mine smell like cabbage?” asked Chris, looking down at the glistening, baby pink armor that clad him from head to foot.

“So, you’re Power Rangers!” boomed the general.

“Call your weapons!” cried Tommy. “They’re in your belt!”

“You got it, Dr. O!” cried Conner. His belt buckle began to glisten.

“Is that meant to happe- _whoa?!_ ” cried Chris, nearly blinded by his own.

“Check it out!”

“Amazing!”

“Nice, I got a Tyranno Staff!” exclaimed Conner.

“I can come to grips with this – Ptera Grip!”

“Sweet – a Tricera Shield!”

“Guys, I got two Spino Smashers! Look at these! Staffs – with hammers on each end! I could do some damage with this! I’d like to see Aunt Mabel criticise me again!”

“Enough!” exclaimed the General. He clenched his fist and a horde of Tyrannodrones appeared in front of him in a flash of green.

They roared and the Rangers charged into the fray.

“I took ballet! I know how to use these! They’re like giant batons! Take that! And this!” Chris span wildly on the spot, hands clasping the middle of the staffs, hammers smashing around the faces of the Tyrannodrones. “Ha! Ha! Come on then! You want me? Come and get me!” He whirled the staffs between his fingers like batons, creating a whirling vortex of pink around him as he span.

“Freeze!” cried Ethan to the General, who was attempting to flee.

“You first!”

The general fired a whip at Ethan, dragging him in. He flew high into the air and smashed into a gated fence behind the general.

“Ethan!”

“You alright, buddy?”

The General’s eyes lit up and the foursome were thrown into the air as the ground around them exploded.

“Rangers! Combine your weapons!” cried Dr. Oliver from the jeep nearby.

“Right!”

They did so, creating an enormous blaster, with one of the Spino Staffs in its mouth. “Z-Rex Blaster! Ready, fire!”

The beam smashed into the general, the hammer exploding as it did so.

The General screamed as the ground around it exploded; it smashed down onto the ground with a sickening crunch.

“Yeah!”

“We did it!”

“Woohoo!”

“You showed me your weapons!” exclaimed the General, stumbling to its feet, clutching its chest. “Now meet _mine_!”

He turned and leapt through a red portal that appeared behind him; high above, the Zords were moving ominously.

“What’s _that!?_ ” cried Chris, as the rangers reached Dr. Oliver’s side.

An enormous claw shaped spaceship soared overheard, shooting lasers down at them. The five of them were thrown forward into the air and came crashing down onto the ground.

“Ok, how do we fight _that?_ ” cried Conner.

“You gotta tame the Zords –”

“ _– are you mad?!_ ” exclaimed Chris, staring up at the enormous Spinosaurus looming ominously overhead. “ _Tame_ that thing?”

“–Concentrate!” ordered Dr. Oliver. “Your Morphers will communicate your thoughts to them.”

“Let’s go!” cried Conner.

“Right!” agreed Ethan.

They rushed forward to where they’d fought, where the Dino Zords were looming overhead, lumbering around. “Look at that!” exclaimed Conner. “They’re _huge!_ _Whoa!_ ”

Ethan stepped forward and, with a few words of persuasion – “Calm down, boy. It’s all good. That’s right – I’m your friend. Tricera Zord!” – managed to calm the Zord, which transformed a deep, dark blue as he raised his arm to it.

“It worked!” he exclaimed, turning back to them in glee.

“Yeah!”

“Nice work!”

“Okay, my turn,” said Kira, stepping forward. She thrust her arm into the air. “Ptera Zord! We can be friends, right?”

It too, transformed – a luminescent yellow that shone brightly.

Conner, like the others, successfully won over his Tyranno Zord with a few well placed words and a deep, guttural roar.

“Chris! The Spino Zord’s out of control! Do something!”

He stepped forward anxiously, every bone in his body shaking – the metallic Spinosaurus roared and thundered towards him, jaws snapping. He closed his eyes, terror sinking in his heart. “I’m like you – we’re both maligned, misunderstood, hated. We’re killers, even when we don’t want to be. You are mine... and I am yours. Hear me. Help me prove we’re worthy of redemption.”

He wrenched open his eyes and screamed in terror. A foot came smashing down – the ground rattled – dust flew – and the Spino Zord stopped dead. He was stood between two toes. He gulped, heart thundering in his chest as, before his very eyes, the creature transformed – it shone a bright baby pink.

“Only one more thing to do,” said Dr. Oliver. “Bring them together. You can do it.”

The foursome turned in unison. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

They leapt as high as they could; vanishing inside their Zords in flashes of bright, white light. Before their eyes, a cockpit formed, filled with four large, colored balls that matched their Gems; they each stepped up to a platform.

“Logging in!”

“Got it!”

“Me too!”

“It’s shiny! I like!”

“Combine powers!”

Their Zords combined – the Tyrannosaurus legs and body, Pteranodon leg and neck armour and a glistening golden helmet, with a blue and pink clawed right hand and a red, drilled one.

“Your robot is no match for me!” boomed the General from his ship.

He fired more lasers, knocking the occupants in the cockpit of the Megazord around.

“Thank God I haven’t got any more vomit left – or I’d be hurling right now!”

“Now I’m mad!” exclaimed Conner, slamming a lever forward.

The General fired electrical cables around them, wrapping around the appendages and sending a burst of electricity through them. The Megazord stumbled, but adamantly kept going.

“Time to head for the back of the net!” exclaimed Conner, clasping his hands together and sending the Megazord into a run and jump, which launched them high into the air.

“Down there! That thing with the four blue eggs on it! That’s the heart!”

“Dino Drill, engage!” Conner drove the Megazord down, the appendage whirling and whirring. It pierced the top of the heart and kept going, the Megazord cart wheeling down to the ground.

Above them, the ship exploded, showering the ground in golden sparks.

The foursome cheered; Chris’s vision began to whirl, the adrenaline fleeing his body and stress and fear flooding it. He turned to his friends.

“If you’ll excuse me – there’s just one thing left to do.”

His eyes rolled back in his head and he tumbled off the platform. He hit the floor, his armor fading with his Gem, which rolled from his hand. Conner picked it up as it stopped and pocketed it grimly as Ethan and Kira rushed to help their fainted comrade.

**~*~*~*~*~**

When Chris came too, he was back in the base.

“Ohh, my head...”

“Dr. O! _Dr. O! He’s awake!_ Thought we’d lost you for a minute there, Dude,” said Conner, holding out a hand to help him into a sitting position as Kira, Ethan and Dr. O came running.

“I’m alright,” he assured them. “No, _really_ ,” he added at their disbelieving looks. “Things have just – I let things get to me...” he sat there for a moment, and then closed his eyes. Fear thundered through him, but it had to be done. “I have something to tell you all. Sit down. You two told me that you thought I didn’t look like a killer and that it didn’t look like I killed someone intentionally, remember?”

“Yeah,” said Conner, a hand on his shoulder. “What about it?”

“You’re partially wrong.”

“What?” gasped Kira.

“I was trying to _scare_ \- but if Principal Rathbone died, well, _it was no great loss_. The only accident in the prank was that a student died – it was _supposed_ to be Principal Rathbone who got a fright instead. I had it all planned out. Aim the firework at the electric substation at the end of the hall and launch – it would explode and everyone would think, after I hid in the supply closet as the firework flew, that he’d been frightened by a malfunctioning electric substation. It was the perfect prank - the perfect murder, though I didn't know that at the time - until it wasn’t.”

He didn’t dare look up, didn’t dare meet what he was sure were their horrified faces. He felt Conner’s grip tighten as his eyes began to water.

“I was _so_ sure I had everything right – but I _didn’t_ – I got the timing wrong – I couldn’t stop it – not once the firework had launched – I was ten minutes too early – the firework exploded – just as I’d planned... but the wrong person got in the way.” He launched to his feet, pressing his hands to his face in despair, in rage, before slamming them down onto the nearby desk. “Cassidy filmed my reaction – the horror was real, make no mistake – what had I just done? What had I _become_? – I ran, it was all I could do – I had to think, to breathe – and she saw it all. Her footage made it look like I was running from the scene of the crime – looking back... maybe I was? Maybe I wasn’t? I don’t know – but I was arrested – the security cameras saw me setting it all up. I told them it was accidental – the light from the firework obscured the camera view of my face as the firework launched. There was enough ambiguity to spare me life imprisonment for murder; all I got was fifteen months in a Correction Facility and partial blindness from the firework launching. They died, you know? The student. They got fifth degree burns and were put into a medically induced coma and didn’t wake up – or, so my mother told me on the one occasion she came to see me.”

“Chris...”

He felt Conner’s hand on his back, felt him pull him close, and the tears came, pouring freely down his face as he buried his face into Conner’s shirt.

“It’s why I’ve been so anxious tonight,” he spluttered through sobs. “I had power – and I abused it. I... fell... I was wrong, I was _evil._ I became a _monster_. I can’t do it again. I can’t risk you guys. You’re all I’ve got. All I _had_ – because I’ve lost you now. You know the truth now... and you’ll all hate me.”

“ _No._ ”

Chris’s head snapped up. Conner was staring down at him, face full of fury and determination. “What?” he sniffled, wiping at his face with his sleeve.

“I said ‘ _no_ ’.” Conner shoved Chris back onto the bench he’d been unconscious on and grasped him by the shoulders, crouching so that they were face to face. “You’re not a monster. So, you killed? Anyone could. Millions have. Millions _will._ A monster wouldn’t regret it, wouldn’t care what we think. You’re not a monster – you’re just broken. And we’re going to put you back together, right, guys?”

“Yeah,” agreed Ethan, quietly.

“He’s right – I hate to agree with him, but he is.”

Chris sniffled, staring between his friends, barely able to believe what he was hearing. “You mean that? You’re not just saying it?”

“Principal Rathbone was an ass,” said Conner. “I spent every week in detention, even put a bucket of water above his door. I can forgive you for what you did. Can you forgive yourself?”

Chris laughed and launched to his feet, clutching them all in a hug. “You guys,” he breathed, openly crying again. “You guys are the best. Thank you. _Thank you._ I love you all. I don’t know if I can forgive myself – not yet – but I know, with your help, I’ll certainly try...”

“Now that the secret’s out and the forgiveness has happened, perhaps we should get on with it.”

“Dr. O.” Chris wiped his face and sniffed back the tears. “Yeah. Sorry. Wait – get on with _what? Oh._ Oh, you’re throwing me out. I see. Get on with it then. Wipe my mind or whatever it is you do.”

“Dude, shut up,” said Conner, nudging him affectionately.

Dr. Oliver crossed the room and stood before the foursome, a silver box in his hands. He clicked the locks and flicked it open. The four Dino Morphers inside transformed into silver bracelets, each with the Gem in the middle, each lined with their respective colour.

“Keep these bracelets with you at all times,” he said, walking along the line and allowing each of them to take a bracelet from the box. “They’ll access your Morphers when you need them. And you can use them to communicate with me and with each other.”

Kira glanced up from her bracelet. “Dr. O, I know you’re real smart and a Science teacher and everything, but this is... Well, I mean, how did you—?”

“I’ll fill you in. In time.”

“Speaking of time, you think Mesogog’s gonna stick around for a while?” asked Ethan.

“Unfortunately, they always do.”

“They?” asked Conner, noticing the probably unintentional slip of the tongue.

“I know this is a lot to take in.”

“That’s for sure,” agreed Chris. “Yesterday I was a monster. Today, I’m a monster looking for redemption – ow! What was that for?”

“Dude, _enough_ of the monster comment, alright?” questioned Conner as Chris rubbed at the bruise he was sure was now forming on his arm.

“Your lives have just changed in ways you probably couldn’t have imagined. But as long as you work together and remember you’re a team, no-one can defeat you. No-one.”

Chris stared grimly at his bracelet and then up at Dr. Oliver. “So... you’re _not_ kicking me out?”

“It’s like your friends said,” began Dr. Oliver, clasping a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “Your broken. This will, I hope, repair you. Or, at least _start_ repairing you. Now, go on – go have fun. All of you.”

“Milkshakes?” asked Chris, slipping his bracelet around his left wrist and leading his friends away, arms around Conner and Ethan’s shoulders. “The Mall will still be open. If we hurry we can get there before it closes at nine. I’m paying.”

“Dude, you don’t have to –”

“Yes, _I do_ ,” said Chris vehemently, separating from them to head up the stairs and out of Dr. Oliver’s house. “You said you can forgive me. Let me show you I’m _trying_ to change – that I’m _worthy_ of that forgiveness.”

“Dude...”

“Please. _Just let me show you_.”

“Alright,” said Conner. “But just this once. And, for the record, you proved it with us tonight. You’ve more than earned it.”

Chris sniffled. “Thanks guys,” he said. “Thanks. Now, all I have to do is earn Reefside’s forgiveness – a _much_ harder task.”

“Anyone gives you trouble, just let me know. I’ll beat the snot out of them,” assured Conner as they climbed into his Mustang. He started the engine and slammed his foot on the accelerator.

“ _Assuming you don’t kill me first!_ ” cried Chris as he was thrown backwards into the backseat.

Conner laughed; despite himself, Chris found it infectious and, before they knew it, the foursome were laughing together as if they’d been friends forever and not just two days.


	4. Wave Goodbye

* * *

**Chapter IV: Wave Goodbye**

* * *

A week after becoming a Power Ranger, Chris and his family stood outside the family bookshop as a cab pulled up outside. The door swung open and a plump, genial looking woman emerged from inside – she wore a flowery dress and a large, red, feather tipped hat, and held a crutch in one hand.

“ _Where are my grandbabies!?_ ” she boomed, spreading her arms wide.

“Grandma!”

Edward threw himself at her, hugging her tightly and almost knocking her to her backside.

“Gentle, Edward!” scolded their mother.

“Now, now, Cate,” said their grandmother, stroking her grandson’s head as they parted from the embrace. “I have a sprained ankle, that’s all. I am far from an invalid. Who is this giant – _this can’t be Christopher?!_ ”

“It can. Hi, Grandma,” said Chris, kissing her on each cheek. “You’re looking well.”

“ _Naturally!_ ” she boomed, kissing his cheeks back and embracing him. “I have the constitution of an ox! Now, let me look at you, hmm?" She released him from the embrace and allowed him to step back, looking him up and down. "You look more like your grandfather every day - _thank goodness._ Though you’re far too skinny – did they not feed you when you were away?”

“Afraid not,” said Chris. “One meal a day, Grandma.”

“Well, I’ll soon fatten you up. Meatloaf for dinner – my treat.”

“Ooh, meatloaf...” drooled Chris.

“Would you like a hand with your bags?”

“Not at all, Cate! _Not at all!_ I can manage!”

She paid the driver, picked up her suitcases, closed the door of the cab, and marched into the house despite her sprained ankle.

Chris’s bracelet beeped.

“ _Meet me as soon as you can at Hayley’s Cyberspace. Down on the port. You can’t miss it,”_ said Ethan’s voice, muffled by Chris’s hand.

“Not now!” he hissed back. “Family are around. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“ _Gotcha...”_

**~*~*~*~*~**

“Hayley’s Cyberspace...”

Chris glanced down at the piece of paper he’d scrawled the address on and then up at the building in front of him. “This must be the place.”

He pocketed the piece of paper.

“Chris!”

Conner and Kira were approaching him, Kira in yellow, Conner clad in leather and white.

“Ethan call you guys too?” he asked, turning to greet them.

“Yeah, said it was super important,” said Kira. She glanced up at the logo covered awning. “What is this place anyway?”

“No clue,” admitted Conner, sighing.

“Let’s check it out.”

Kira led them inside through the large fire-engine red doors.

“Wow...” exclaimed Conner. “You think he lives here?”

Before them was geek central: Tables, a drinks bar, computers lining the walls, a sofa pressed against the wall with a television in front of it.

“I think he _wishes_ he lived here.”

“There they are... my brothers and sister in crime – or at least crime fighting,” said Ethan, loud enough so that they could hear, but quietly enough that the other guests, all mingling around, could not. “Welcome to my world. What do you think?”

“This had better be important,” said Chris, crossing his arms in annoyance. “My grandmother arrived this morning and she’s making meatloaf for dinner. I have no intention of missing that delicious smell all day – it’s my favourite. Behind pie.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s kind of cool in a techno, retro, dorky sort of way.”

“You can do anything here,” said Ethan as he led them down the length of the building. “Game, chat online, listen to music, eat, drink.”

“Who came up with the idea for this?” asked Kira.

“That would be Hayley,” said Ethan, gesturing to a pretty young woman with dark auburn hair who was helping a student with his homework. “She’s a techno legend. M.I.T Grad, programming genius. Got tired of working for big technology and decided to open up this place.”

“Good thing for you.”

“No lie.”

“Anyway, so, what’s so important?” asked Conner, throwing an arm over a shoulder of each of his male friends.

“I just figured, hey, if we’re gonna be saving the world together, I wanted you guys to see what I’m about.”

“Okay, whatever, Dude,” said Conner, biting back a laugh.

“Hey, guys, what can I get you?”

“I’ll just have an apple juice,” said Kira.

“Oh, that’s easy!” acknowledge Hayley, turning and walking away with her; her friends idled after them. “Kira, right?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“Oh, I’m all about information,” admitted Hayley, turning back to face Kira, a knowing smile on her face. “It’s my business. Now, you sing, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Great,” admitted Hayley. “How about this Sunday you and your band play here? We’ll call it an audition.”

“Well, yeah, I mean, that would be great!”

“Alright, see you then...”

“Okay, I love her.”

“That’s Hayley,” admitted Ethan, leaning casually against the bar. “There’s not one kid in here she hasn’t helped out somehow.”

“Hasn’t helped me...” noted Conner, leaning against the bar in a huff.

“Conner McKnight, the soccer player,” greeted Hayley on her return, handing Kira her apple juice. “I’m surprised you’re not at the open tryouts for the Reefside Wave.”

“Open tryouts?” repeated Conner, disbelievingly.

“Yeah, at their practice field right now.”

An enormous smile almost ripped Conner’s face in two. “You’re kidding, right?” he breathed.

“No.”

“You were saying?”

Conner’s head snapped in Ethan’s direction, then back at Haley. In a flash, he vaulted himself from the bar and raced from the building.

“Good luck, bro.”

“Break a leg – what?” Chris noticed Ethan and Kira staring at him. “Oh, is that only in the theatre? Uh... don’t... break a leg!”

“I gotta go too,” admitted Kira, bounding forward. “I need to put a set list together and restring my guitar. Here.” She handed the apple juice to Ethan. “Bye.”

“I better go too,” admitted Chris, leaping forward as he caught sight of the time on his watch. “Gran’s meatloaf won’t last forever – especially if Edward gets his hands on it!” he rushed from the building, slamming open the door. “ _I’m coming, meatloaf!_ ”

**~*~*~*~*~**

He made it home in record time and was just about to help himself to a third helping of meatloaf when the bracelet on his arm rang. _“Guys! We could use some dino help out here!”_

He swore under his breath, though he was sure Edward heard, and got to his feet. “Sorry. Homework!” he said, and he rushed away, throwing open the front door.

His mother was shouting his name loudly as he rounded the corner. He raised his arm to his face and cried “ _Dino Thunder, Power Up!_ ” and was covered in pink again before he knew it.

He rushed along the lane, down Leaftree Avenue, and into another avenue as Ethan shouted directions through his bracelet.

The others were there too – and they leapt as a threesome, landing in front of Ethan and taking an attack as he was buffeted back into a tree.

“You guys couldn’t have done this another day?” asked Conner, as he swung his weapon.

“I was having meatloaf! We _never_ have meatloaf! If the meatloaf’s gone when I get home...” Chris let the threat hang.

“Don’t tell me, tell them!” protested Ethan.

“Let’s make this quick! Tyranno Staff!”

“Ptera Grips, baby!”

“Tricera Shield!”

“Spino Smashers!”

The foursome raced into the fray. They finished off the Tyrannodrones with ease and regrouped to protect Dr. Oliver, who was fighting the metallic general from before and a terrifying looking woman dressed in black, with her hair in dreadlocks, who was armed with a sword.

“You really like these odds? ‘Cause you look busted to me!” bragged Ethan.

“We’re not through with you, Power Rangers!” warned the woman

“Nor you, Dr. Oliver!” boomed the general.

The woman raised her sword and, with a flash of green, they were gone.

“They’re a pleasant couple,” said Kira, sarcastically.

“No kidding...” admitted Chris. “Ugly too.”

“We better get these back to my place,” said Dr. Oliver, clasping his backpack tightly - several eggs sat inside.

“What are they?” asked Kira.

“We’re going to ride them,” said Ethan, imitating Dr. Oliver. It was obviously a running joke between the two, for Dr. Oliver looked a little annoyed.

“What? They’re teeny...”

“Look, I have to go back to tryouts. Can you guys handle this?” Conner seemed shifty, uppity, somewhat anxious, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Yeah, go ahead, Conner. They can fill you in later.”

“Good luck! Uh... don’t fail?” shouted Chris after him as Conner disappeared into the distance. Ethan, Dr. Oliver and Kira were staring at him incredulously. “Oh... knew it was wrong as soon as I said it – sorry – not good with these things!”

“Come on,” said Dr. Oliver, ushering the other three away.

“Ah, no, you can fill _me_ in later too _. I want my meatloaf_. Can you two look after Dr. Oliver without damaging, breaking or losing him for more than five minutes?”

“We got it.”

“Good. Meatloaf here I come.”

He rushed away and burst in through the front door approximately ten minutes later, extremely annoyed at the sight of the empty meatloaf pan. His family were no longer around the table; his mother was in the kitchen, his father in the living room reading the newspaper; he could hear Edward shouting “ _DIE ZOMBIES! DIE!_ ” upstairs.

“Ugh. I’m going to bed. Wake me when there’s meatloaf...”

He trudged upstairs, sent a text message of “ _how did tryouts go? Any luck?_ ” to Conner, and then flopped back onto his bed.

**~*~*~*~*~**

He awoke the next morning to an urgent text message from Ethan – “ _Conner doubting. Planning to quit. Come as quick as you can!_ ”

“What the hell?” he breathed. He scrambled from the bed, had an incredibly quick shower, dressed himself, and rushed from the house ignoring his mother’s cries, toothbrush still in his mouth, as his bracelet chimed.

“ _Guys, we have a situation. There’s a monster attack in the city! People are in danger!”_

He diverted at the crossroads – Conner’s house to his left, the city to his right. He debated for a moment – confront Conner on the way or wait and save everyone.

“Oh, damn it all!”

He rushed right, transforming into his pink visage as he did so.

“What the hell are you?” he breathed, reaching his friends mid-fight. A large, feathered, bird like creature was giving them the run around – and winning.

“Hey, Bird Brain!”

He leapt, Spino Smashers appearing in his hands, and came crashing down, knocking the creature back with the force of the hammers landing – just in time: Ethan cried “Thunder Max!” and he and Conner shot blasts at the creature as they raced towards it.

“Thanks, guys,” said Kira, attempting to scramble to her feet from where she’d been knocked aside.

“You alright?” Chris asked, holding out a hand to help her up.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m good. Thanks.”

“Give up?” asked Conner, aiming his blaster.

“Catch me if you can!”

“He’s getting away!” Kira began to run, but Conner threw out an arm to stop her.

“We’ll never catch him...” he sighed.

“ _You can_ ,” said Dr. Oliver’s voice through the bracelets. “ _Meet the Raptor Riders_.”

Four enormous Velociraptors, each in their respective colours, were thundering towards them. Chris leapt, landing on its back.

“Easy, peasy!”

“There he goes!”

“On it!”

Conner leapt over a car, quickly followed by Ethan, as they chased the bird like creature and a horde of Tyrannodrones into the town centre.

“No!” gasped Conner, seeing a Tyrannodrone looming ominously over a screaming and cowering child. “I’ll help the girl! You follow that freak!”

Kira rushed off on her Raptor Rider, following the creature up buildings as Conner helped the child to her mother. Chris and Ethan landed face to face and span, Ethan shooting, Chris swinging his staffs like a vortex. Ethan’s bullets flew into the vortex created by the spinning staffs and were thrown in every direction.

Conner raised his staff high and brought it whizzing down through the air as Kira kamikaze dived the creature from the top of a building.

The creature fell.

“Together!”

Chris, Ethan and Kira leapt into the air and landed on Conner’s Raptor Rider; the Z-Rex Blaster formed; the hammer in its mouth.

“Ready?”

“Powering up!”

“Firing!”

The creature exploded into a shower of rocks.

Chris began to dance – a strange jig where he thrust his arms down and wiggled his hips. “Oh yeah – we rock – uh huh – go us – we rule – oh yeah!”

There was a clap of thunder and all four leapt back in shock – the broken pieces began to reform in a cloud of rain – and the creature grew – taller and higher than they’d ever seen before.

“Not good! Not good! Not good!”

“Dr. O, we may have a problem on our hands!" exclaimed Ethan into his bracelet.

“ _Let me guess: the thirty storey version of that guy you were just fighting?_ ”

“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”

“ _Once or twice. I’m sending the Dino Zords.”_

“You have a lot of explaining to do if we live, Dr. O,” said Chris, leaning over to Ethan. “Can he hear me? I – _Ethan – tell him he has a lot of explaining to do if we live!_ ”

There was a thundering behind them and the Dino Zords appeared, racing down the streets towards the town.

“Ready?”

“Bring it – let’s go!”

They leapt, vanishing inside their Zords – and merged – the enormous Megazord they’d created nine days ago.

The enormous bird creature fired at them, sending sparks of electricity at them.

“Get in close,” ordered Chris. “I’ve got an idea! _SPINO SMASHERS! ENGAGE!_ ”

The Megazord summoned an enormous double hammered staff, raised it above its head, and brought it smashing down. As the bird creature stumbled, Conner seized his chance. He drew the Megazord back, powered up the drill, and rammed the creature, piercing it through the middle.

The Megazord landed gently on the other end, Conner turning it to watch – just in time – the bird creature exploded in a flash of fire.

“That worked better than I hoped!”

“Now that’s what I call Monster Busting!” agreed Kira, high-fiving Chris.

The group landed, the Megazord vanishing; the girl Conner had saved was waiting with her mother. Conner stepped forward and crouched, a hand on her shoulder.

“T'ank you,” she slurred – too young to fit all her words correctly – and she hugged him tightly.

“Anytime,” he said. “Anytime.”

The girl turned and ran as Conner returned to the group.

“So... does this mean you’re staying?” asked Chris, clapping a hand to Conner’s shoulder. “Or do I have to smack you over the head with these –” he twirled the Spino Smashers menacingly in his hands. “– until you reconsider?”

“I’ll... let you know.”

Conner turned and walked away.

“Con-”

“Let him go,” said Kira, cutting Chris off. “He’s got a big choice to make. Let’s go to Hayley’s. He can meet us there.”

It was about ten minutes later when they reached Hayley’s – Chris lingered, just for a moment, hoping to see Conner in the distance. No sign of him.

A new waiter – a handsome, dark skinned youth in a black and white striped shirt, was handing out drinks.

“What can I get you?” he asked as Chris closed the door and entered.

“Anything!” Chris called back over the cacophony of Kira setting up her show. “As long as it’s non-alcoholic and doesn’t have peppermint in.”

“You don’t like peppermint?” asked Ethan as the youth nodded and headed into the back.

“Allergic, actually,” corrected Chris. “Deathly so. Ate a peppermint once at a restaurant – completely unintentionally – woke up twelve hours later on a respirator. Even the smell of it is enough to knock me out for several hours.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah. Hey!” Chris exclaimed, smiling; Conner was swaggering towards them. “I didn’t expect to see you here...”

“Why not?” asked Conner, dropping his hands into his pockets and shrugging. “We’re partners in crime fighting, right?”

“Are we?” asked Ethan.

“Yeah,” said Conner, nodding and looking between them. “We are.”

“What happened with the Wave, by the way?” asked Chris, heading over to the bar with Ethan as the new waiter placed a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of him. “You never replied to my text last night...”

“I had to make a choice,” Conner admitted, idling after them and taking a seat on the stool at the bar next to Chris. “That little girl made me realise: there’s nothing more important than what we’re doing.”

“Hey, Conner.” Hayley had approached; two apple juices and a hot chocolate in hand. “Sorry you didn’t make the team.”

“Uh... yeah...” said Conner.

“These are on the house,” said Hayley; she put down the apple juices and hot chocolate and smiled sadly at him. She glanced up and then headed off to another customer who had just entered.

“How does she _do that_?” queried Conner.

“Hayley knows all, man,” said Ethan. “And I’m sorry, too.”

“Me too,” added Chris. "You'll make it big someday - I know it. Just remember us when you're famous, alright?"

“Yeah, look, you know I still would have chosen you guys, right?”

“I doubted for a bit – I was coming to talk you out of leaving – or beat some sense into you – when Ethan then called and said there was trouble down town and -”

“I know you would have,” said Ethan, cutting Chris off with an incredulous look.

“Thanks, guys.” Hayley was on stage, speaking into the microphone. “Tonight we’ve got something really special for you – a young woman with a lot to say. Ladies and gentlemen: Kira Ford.”

She stepped off the stage as Kira stepped up, guitar in hand, and began to sing as her friends danced along on their stools, cheering:

“ _And it goes like this,_

_Yeah, yeah._

_Yeah, yeah,_

_Yeah, yeah._

_Yeah, yeah,_

_Yeah, yeah._

_I can’t tell you why,_

_But I can’t stop thinking about you, baby._

_Oh, yeah._

_Don’t you think it’s time,_

_I walked around every word you’re saying?_

_Oh, yeah._

_I’m trying hard to figure out,_

_Tell me what it’s all about,_

_Because I don’t want to freak you out._

_Freak you out, freak you out.”_

“Hey, wasn’t Dr. O supposed to be here?” asked Ethan, glancing around and noticing the absence of their mentor.

“He probably got caught up in something – you know him. Nose to the grindstone and all,” said Chris, swirling his hot chocolate. “He’s probably fallen asleep in the base, a book on his face. We’ll see him tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” agreed Conner. “Kira’s _good._ ”

“Too right – seems Randall was wrong. She’s going to – ow! Ow! _Hot!_ ” Conner laughed as Chris leaped up – he’d knocked his cup and a hot chocolate stain was spreading across the front of his legs. “Oh, _fabulous..._ ”


	5. Legacy of Power

* * *

**Chapter V: Legacy of Power**

* * *

The Rangers had learned something was wrong when Dr. Oliver failed to show up for school on Monday. Though they had not had lessons together, being in different years, they’d quickly communicated and agreed to meet up at the base after school.

“This is bad,” said Kira.

“Way bad,” agreed Ethan. “Worse than crashing after getting to level nine in S.N.S.W – Super Ninja Space Wars,” he specified as his friends frowned.

“Okay, look, don’t you think we’re getting a little _too_ freaked out about this?” suggested Conner.

“Dr. O. doesn’t show up for my gig, and then misses a full day of school without calling. I’d say we’ve achieved exactly the right level of freaking out.”

“I guess there’s only one way to find out what the good doctor’s been up too,” admitted Ethan. He strolled past his friends to the computer.

“How’s that?” asked Conner, as the three others followed.

Ethan’s hands typed at a mile a minute and, finally, the computer beeped into life. “I’m in!” he announced, beaming brightly at his own brilliance.

“Nice job,” acknowledged Chris. “But... _where_ are you in?”

On screen, Dr. Oliver sat down in front of a camera and began to speak: “ _I’m Tommy Oliver. If you’re not me, then something is seriously wrong. This video diary is a confidential record only to be viewed in case of an emergency. What you’re about to see is a history of my life–_ ”

“More dinosaur bone stories. Yawn,” sneered Conner.

“ _– my history – as a Power Ranger._ ”

“Okay – un-yawn,” corrected Conner.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” said Chris, leaning on the desk. “He understood too well when I told him about being a killer,” he specified to the others; Conner put a hand on his back comfortingly. “Maybe this will tell me why... why he gave me a second chance?”

“ _My story begins in Angel Grove when five teenagers with attitude were recruited to face the evil space sorceress... Rita Repulsa. They harnessed the power of the dinosaur to become Earth’s first Power Rangers. Under the guidance of intergalactic being Zordon, Trini, Zack, Kimberly, Billy, and Jason bravely defended Earth which forced Rita to create her own ranger.”_

“This is interesting and all, but where’s Dr. O?” asked Chris as Ethan paused the recording. “Anything else on there – maybe something about any other secret labs he has or where these other Power Rangers are or – oh, we’re off again!”

The video had started again, without Ethan telling it too: “ _Her evil magic was too strong. I couldn’t fight it. She commanded me to destroy the Power Rangers, and I almost succeeded. But my friends never gave up. They helped me destroy the Power Sword, and I was freed. And that’s when I joined the team.”_

Chris paused the video; the other three glanced up at him as a frown crossed his face and turned away, crossing his arms. “So... that’s why he understood. He’s been in the same place as me – broken, hurting... _evil_ – and got a second chance.”

“You weren’t–”

“– Yes, I _was,_ Conner. Time I accepted that – truly accepted it. I was an evil person – I didn’t deserve a second chance – but Dr. O gave me one. You guys gave me one. I can’t – _won’t_ – screw that up.”

“You won’t,” said Conner, comfortingly. “You’ve done good with us. We’ll soon balance you out – make the good level with the ‘evil’ as you call it.”

Chris nodded, grunting in acknowledgement. “Right – play it, Ethan.”

Ethan pressed the space bar again and the video began. “ _But not for long. I soon discovered the Green Ranger powers were only temporary.”_

Ethan stopped the video.

“What did you do that for?”

“Because I’m so buggin’, I can’t even deal!”

“Our teacher is the oldest living Power Ranger!” breathed Conner.

“Not the oldest–” The foursome yelped and whirled around; Hayley was stood in the doorway. “– Just the best.”

“Hayley?” gasped Ethan.

“How did you get in here?” asked Conner.

“More to the point – what do you know about any of this?” asked Kira.

“She’s involved,” said Chris. “It makes sense. How else could she know so much about us? Dr. Oliver must have been keeping her involved behind the scenes without us knowing.”

“I know that Tommy is in trouble, and your four are the only ones who can help him.”

“Way to heap on the pressure...” muttered Chris.

“Chris is right,” said Hayley.

“– Told ya –”

“– I’ve been helping Tommy prepare the Ranger Energy since grad school. Who do you think built the Morphers? I mean, Tommy’s good with dinosaurs and fossils, but a rocket scientist he ain’t.”

“And let me guess – you are?” questioned Conner.

“Among other things.”

“Okay, so you know who we are, you know _what_ we are – do you know where Dr. Oliver is?” asked Kira.

“I think I have a pretty good idea,” admitted Hayley, nodding. She reached into the handbag on her shoulder and pulled out a CD. She opened the disk slot on the side of the computer and put it in, settling herself in the chair – security footage began playing – on it, Dr. Oliver was surrounded by Tyrannodrones and eventually overwhelmed. “This is a surveillance tape from the day of your gig, Kira.”

“Why didn’t he just morph?” asked Conner. “I mean, he’s a Power Ranger.”

“Not anymore,” said Hayley, turning to look at him from the chair. “Or didn’t you get that far?” She turned back to the computer and pressed the space bar again, making the footage continue.

“ _A new villain – Lord Zedd – was destroying Earth, and with three Rangers leaving, a new power source had to be found. Trini, Zack and Jason passed on their powers and the three new Rangers stepped forward. And just in time, because Rita and Zedd teamed up to form our most powerful enemy yet, bringing with them a new terror – Rito. The new team fought bravely, but it wasn’t enough. Rito destroyed our Zords...”_

“That can happen?” wondered Chris aloud, glancing around anxiously at his friends. “That sucks. I hope it never happens to us – I don’t know what we’d do without them.”

_“A ranger never gives up. Zordon sent us on a quest to find Ninjor, a warrior from the past who showed us the secret of the ancient Ninja. Our quest complete, we gained new weapons, new Zords, and new enemies. But along with new enemies came new friends. When Kimberly chose to leave, Katherine was the only choice. Katherine assumed the Pink Ranger power – and just in time – we were under attack. We got out just as Rita and Zedd succeeded in destroying the command centre. Beneath the ruins, we found the Zeo Crystal, a mystical power that guided us into the next chapter of our lives as Rangers. The Zeo Powers were awesome...but when we needed reinforcements, we turned to an old friend: Jason returned and assumed the Power of the Gold Ranger. After High School Graduation, we were ready to face the world. But not before going on one last adventure as Rangers. It was time to shift into a higher gear – the old Rangers were gone forever, but the Turbo Rangers were born. A space pirate named Divatox launched an attack on Earth. We were given the powers of Turbo and took her head-on with a little help. TJ, Cassie, Ashley, and Carlos, proved that they had what it takes...”_

“After that, Tommy went to college, where he met yours truly,” acknowledge Hayley, pausing the video. “But when he found the Dino Gems, he knew he could never escape the power for long.”

“Seeing as how I don’t want this to be the end of the line, can we get back on the subject of finding Dr. O?” asked Ethan.

“He’s right,” said Chris. “Some of us – me – need him here. He’s a reminder now for me – everyone can have a second chance.”

“Hey, I just thought of something!” interrupted Kira. “What about Invisi-Portals? They’re all over the City. If we could find one, we could get into Mesogog’s lab.”

“I’ve been working on that very thing,” admitted Hayley, glancing up to Kira. “Unfortunately, I need just a little more time.”

“Okay, so what are we supposed to do while you’re doing that?” asked Conner.

“Have we _got_ time?” asked Chris. “Dr. Oliver could be being tortured right now, for all we know...”

“Here, watch more of your heritage,” said Hayley, typing away on the keyboard. “You might learn something.”

“ _Divatox was tough and the Piranhatrons were relentless. Divatox wasn’t ready to give up and staged a fearsome attack, taking out the Turbo Rangers’ command centre and their powers with it. She headed for space and Earth’s ultimate destruction. The Rangers knew they had to follow Divatox into space and embarked on the most dangerous mission, leaving behind the world they knew... forever... the journey into space was treacherous and the line between friend and foe was a thin one. Andros proved he was more than a friend. He was just the kind of leader they would need to fight a new enemy: An enemy called... Astronema. They thought they had no hope, but Andros brought them the Astro Morphers, bringing forth a new team. The Space Rangers freed Zane from his deep freeze, and the Silver Ranger was a noble addition to the team. Together, they defeated Astronema, and the Earth was safe.”_

“Is Earth an easy target or something? You’d think, by now, with all these Ranger teams, people would leave the planet alone.”

“They never seem to learn,” admitted Hayley to Ethan. “There’ll probably be many more.”

“We’ll stop them all, right guys?”

“Yeah!”

_“But deep in space, another battle raged. On the distant planet of Mirinoi, five new heroes – Leo, Damon, Kendrix, Maya and Kai – retrieved the Galaxy Sabres and were chosen to be the Power Rangers of the Lost Galaxy. They would have to combine their powers if they were to defeat their mortal enemy: Trakeena. Trakeena threatened to destroy the space Colony, Terra Venture, and took on a horrifying new form. Red Ranger and his battlyzer were the colony’s only hope. With Trakeena destroyed, the people of Terra Venture were forever grateful to the Rangers of the Lost Galaxy. Meanwhile, on Earth, an elite team was being put together to fight a new battle against an invasion of demons.”_

“Oooh, submarines. I’ve always wanted to go in one,” admitted Chris. He turned to Hayley. “Have we got one?”

“No.”

Chris frowned. “Can you _make_ one?” he suggested.

“No.”

“You’re no fun...” moaned Chris, crossing his arms and pouting.

_“The Lightspeed Rangers needed one more to complete their mission. That’s when Ryan joined the team.”_

Ding!

The footage stopped.

“Hey, I was watching that!” interrupted Ethan.

“Sorry,” said Hayley, typing away. “But I’ve got something.”

“What, you found him?” asked Conner, urgently, leaning forward to watch the screen as it zoomed over a mountain range.

“Almost,” admitted Hayley. “I’ve got a lock on the back door to Mesogog’s Firewall. In theory, it should lead us straight to an Invisi-portal.”

“Then what?” asked Chris.

“I’ll... let you know when I get there,” confessed Hayley.

The screens began to flash – _Search Failed_ covered the screen – and Hayley’s typing became a little more frantic, her brow furrowing in annoyance.

“So, what’s happened?”

“Either I’m losing my touch, or Mesogog is really smart... for a mutant freak.”

The screen fizzed, warped to static, and began to play.

“What’s it doing now?” gasped Kira.

“It’s showing more Ranger history.”

It was.

“Nice Spaceship!” exclaimed Ethan, seeing a spaceship zoom through a wormhole on screen. “Hold up – Power Rangers who came from the future?”

“They’re down with time travel and everything, right? Couldn’t they take us back to the moment when Tommy was kidnapped?”

“What, so we can watch it happen all over again?” asked Conner, snidely.

“No, dummy,” said Chris.

It took a moment to sink in, then Conner’s eyes widened and his face changed: “ _Ohh_. So we can _stop them_. Got it.”

“It’s worth a shot,” acknowledged Kira to her own idea, restarting the footage. “Let’s see if this tells us how to reach them.”

“ _Rangers from the future chased a mutant criminal through time. But it took a modern day hero to help finish the job. It took a while for Eric to learn that the greatest virtue of being a Ranger is not the power... but the reward of helping mankind.”_

The footage stopped again.

“That was sick... but not helpful,” admitted Ethan.

“Okay, so, what about all the other Rangers?” asked Chris. “I mean – there must be hundreds of them all over the place. Couldn’t we team up and scout all over the City?”

“It’s not that easy,” admitted Hayley, sadly. “Most Rangers don’t have their powers anymore. Some never wanted them at all.”

She started the footage again.

_“We need a fifth Ranger,”_ said a pink Ranger on the screen, transforming back to her dark skinned, black haired self.

_“Calm down guys,”_ said another Ranger, this one yellow, as she landed nearby on the screen and transformed back into a pale, blonde woman. _“I say we’re doing just fine the way we are.”_

“ _Cole joined, and the Wild Force Rangers used spirits of the Ancient Animals to fight the evil Orgs – creatures determined to conquer Earth through pollution and destruction. The final member to join the team was Merrick, the Lunar Wolf.”_

“And, meanwhile, back in reality, we still have no way to find Dr. O,” groused Ethan.

“I know there’s at least one more group of Rangers out there,” confessed Hayley. “They had a guy named Cam. He was even more of a genius at this stuff than I am.”

Conner’s eyes widened in surprise. “Try typing in ‘ _Ninja Storm_ ’,” he suggested. Everyone stared at him. “What? My twin brother went to this super-secret Ninja School. Everyone there knew a few of the students got chosen to be Rangers.”

“Your brother was a Power Ranger?” asked Ethan.

“Nah, he couldn’t even finish Ninja School,” admitted Conner. “He’s, like, a total airhead. We’re _so_ different.” He looked around the group, who were each trying to avoid eye contact with him. “Right, guys?”

“Look, I found them!” interrupted Hayley, starting up some new footage.

“ _Three unlikely Ninja students commanded the power of Earth, Air, and Water. It was the Power of Thunder that gave them their biggest challenge. But their greatest enemies... proved to be their greatest allies. With Earth at the brink of destruction, another friend – Cam – went back in time to retrieve the one power that could save them all – the power of the Green Samurai Ranger. In their final battle against Lothor, the Rangers made the ultimate sacrifice.”_

“Whoa!” exclaimed Ethan, watching an explosion occur on screen. “Ninjas _are_ real! I knew it.”

“Hey, my brother taught me some of his moves,” admitted Conner. “Check it out.” He took a pose and performed a series of kicks and punches and then span around and threw out a leg in one long, sharp kick – straight into the power and memory banks of the computer, which sparked and fizzed, causing him to stumble backwards and almost fall over.

“I’ve got you!” said Chris, catching him and heaving him back upright.

“Oh, please tell me that did not just happen,” said Kira annoyed.

“I think we just lost our last hope of finding Tommy,” admitted Hayley.

“Anyone know how to fix a computer?” asked Kira.

“Don’t look at me,” said Chris, as Conner and Ethan stared at him. “I know a bit about fireworks and picking locks, but my technological knowledge goes about as far as hotwiring a car when the keys aren’t in the ignition – Kali taught me, admittedly via email, before we lost contact. Sorry.”

“Anything?” asked Conner to Hayley who was typing away so rapidly that her fingers were a blur.

“Got it!” she declared.

“We are so lucky you’re a genius!” exclaimed Ethan.

Conner let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding.

“Even geniuses need help sometimes,” admitted Hayley. “That little jolt must have done something to the wiring because I’m getting something!”

The screen fizzed – Dr. Oliver’s face reappeared: “ _With the return of Mesogog, it became necessary to invoke the power of the Dino Gems. Should anything happen to me, these four are charged with protecting the planet._ ”

Their faces were on screen – Ethan’s, Conner’s, Kira’s, Chris’s – left to right across the screen; all of the moment they’d agreed to become Rangers.

“It’s us,” noted Kira.

“ _You’re in good hands._ ”

“He really trusts us...” breathed Chris. “Trusts... _me?_ ”

“He does,” admitted Hayley.

“We have to save him,” said Ethan, turning to the group, who nodded in agreement. “We owe it to him.”

“The whole word owes him!” exclaimed Kira.

The computer beeped loudly; Hayley leapt into action. “It worked!” she exclaimed. “I’ve got a lock on an Invisi-Portal.”

“Time to go save a teacher!” exclaimed Conner.

“Bet you never thought you’d be saying _that!_ ” chuckled Chris, nudging Conner’s side.


	6. Back In Black

* * *

**Chapter VI: Back In Black**

* * *

The foursome turned – time to save Dr. Oliver – and began to walk away.

Hayley, still sat at the computer, shouted after them: “Remember, you have to reach a speed of five hundred and thirty six miles upon entry! Otherwise you’ll never make it past the security wall and probably be ripped to pieces!”

The foursome stopped dead and turned on their heels.

“Did I forget to mention that?” she asked, smirking. “I take that as a yes...” she added, at their deathly silence. “Never fear. I have something for just such an occasion.”

She typed on the computer and the wall to their left began to open like a garage door, revealing four brightly coloured motorbikes inside, each the colours of their respective gems.

“Sweet!” breathed Ethan.

“Amazing!” cried Kira.

“Ooh, shiny!” exclaimed Chris. “I can see my reflection in this! Kali would love these. She blew up three before she went to juvie – or was it four? Ah, no, I remember – she blew up three and _sank one in the ocean_.” The other three stared at him. “What? She was an interesting person...”

“Which one’s mine?” asked Conner, possibly joking.

“Huh?” questioned Ethan, turning to look at his friend.

“I’m kidding,” said Conner.

“Oh, you so weren’t kidding!” mocked Ethan.

“These are your new Raptor Cycles,” said Hayley, rising from the computer and pacing in front of the foursome. “They should have you to the portal coordinates in approximately ninety two point seven five seconds.”

“And when we get there?” asked Kira.

“Use your gems to access the Hyperdrive, then head straight through the portal to Mesogog’s island fortress.”

“Wait, did you just say ‘ _Island Fortress_ ’?” gulped Conner, anxiously.

“Yes, why?” asked Hayley.

“Well, islands – they’re... uh... surrounded by water.”

“Usually,” admitted Hayley in agreement.

“No... You can’t swim?” asked Ethan mirthfully, a smile threatening to break his face.

Conner was immediately on the defensive. “I didn’t say that!” he burst out, face contorting angrily.

“But it’s _true_ ,” said Ethan, utterly in paradise at the idea. “You _can’t_.”

“The Invisi-Portal will take you directly to the island,” assured Hayley, meeting Conner’s eyes. “You’ll never have to get wet.”

“I can teach you later, if you like?” asked Chris, patting Conner’s shoulder and casting a glare at the now snickering Ethan. “Once we get back – Wednesday, after school, I’m free – assuming we don’t hear from tall, scaly and exceptionally ugly, of course.”

“You can’t swim!” laughed Ethan.

“Whatever, Dude,” said Conner, casting a glance and a barely noticeable nod to Chris, who smiled back. “You guys ready?”

“Always,” said Chris.

The foursome turned, cried “ _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP_!”, and transformed again, leaping onto their Raptor Cycles.

“Let’s do it!” cried Conner. “Hit it!”

They started the motors, kicked them in gear, and sped out of a portal at the back of the garage.

“Woohoo!” cried Chris, skidding around a corner. “I see why Kali likes bikes!”

They darted through the forest, down a lane, through the city, and off towards the beach. They were racing along the beach when, suddenly, the Raptor Cycles stopped; Chris toppled forward over the handlebars and landed in a heap on the beach.

“Whoa, it just stopped,” said Ethan.

“What’s up with that?” asked Conner.

“This must be where Hayley programmed the coordinates,” said Kira. There was a flash of green and the portal opened. “Look! There’s the Invisi-Portal! I sure hope Dr. O. is on the other side.”

“Only one way to find out,” said Chris as Conner held out a hand to help him up.

“You guys ready?” asked Conner.

“You know it,” said Ethan.

“Ready!” assured Chris and Kira.

The foursome ran back to their Raptor Cycles and clambered on.

Conner started his engine and then looked up, gasping – a flash of green – the woman from before and the General with a horde of Tyrannodrones and a vaguely bird like creature with large feathers. “Hey!” he exclaimed. “No-one invited you to the party!”

“I’m crashing, and I brought a few friends!” shouted the woman back. “Is that rude?”

“Extremely,” replied Kira.

The General stepped forward to speak, his metallic voice booming as usual: “You’re not getting through that portal unless you’re in chains.”

“I might be able to pull that look off,” admitted Kira. “But these guys? No way.”

“I vote we go for it,” said Conner.

“I’m game,” said Chris. “I’m spoiling for a good fight...”

“Attack!” cried the woman as the foursome slammed their feet down onto the accelerators and raced into the fray.

Chris raced up a sand dune on his Raptor Cycle and leapt, tilting the front down. “What’s this?” he asked; the word _laser_ flashed up on his screen as he soared through the air. “A laser? Where do I fire this? Oh, that’s right – _IN YOUR FACES!_ ” The Tyrannodrones exploded as lasers of fire erupted from the front of his Raptor Cycle. “Oh, look,” he said, as they fell. “Now you’re dead! I win!”

Gunshots echoed from nearby – Ethan was racing at the bird creature.

“Need a hand?” called Chris, kicking the Raptor Cycle into gear and summoning his Spino Smashers. He kicked the ignition and sped towards him, racing up a dune – he flew over Ethan and swung the Spino Smashers downwards – they collided with the creature as Ethan’s final blast did and it flew backwards, smashing down onto the surface of the beach as Chris came skidding down the other end, throwing up sand with the wheels.

Nearby, the General, sword drawn and shield raised, was rushing at Conner. He brought his Raptor Cycle to a halt in the water and leapt, leg lunging into a kick as Chris and Ethan raced to help. His foot met the General’s chest and he fell, Conner landing back on his Raptor Cycle and rushing to his friends.

“Guys, hurry!” cried Ethan. “The Portal’s still open.”

“We can do it,” assured Conner. “Follow me!”

The foursome raced forward together, Raptor Cycles roaring – something exploded behind them as the woman roared in anger in the distance, having been defeated by Conner shortly before the General had fallen.

“Yeah! Punch it!” cried Conner.

“Maximum speed!”

“Almost there!”

“Full power!” Chris changed the gear – his Raptor Cycle surged forward. “Whoa! Holy –” he burst through the portal just seconds before his friends and they emerged into a dark green, metallic, sterilized laboratory. “– butts.”

“Hayley, we’re in,” said Conner.

“ _Good_ ,” said Hayley’s voice through their helmets. “ _I’ll recalibrate the bikes for your exit. You have about five minutes._ ”

“That long?” laughed Chris. “I could do a crossword in that. Come on, guys. Kira – lead on. You’ve been here before.”

They transformed back into their civilian guises and Kira led on. Down a corridor – a flight of stairs – around a corner – another corridor. “The lab should be just around here, I think. At least we still have the element of –”

“Welcome,” said a disgustingly ugly creature, emerging from around the corner as the foursome skidded to a halt. “We’ve been expecting you”

“– surprise...”

“You remember me, I trust,” said the creature, who Chris assumed was Mesogog.

“Like I could forget that face?”

“Uh... what part’s his face?” asked Chris as they backed away. “Is it the scales? The red bits? The... exceptionally ugly?”

“Obviously, you are in need of some discipline,” said Mesogog.

He fired a blast of energy from his forehead at them. It missed, purely due to the woman, the general, and the bird like creature teleporting in and taking the blast.

“This way, hurry!” cried Kira, pushing her way past.

“Right behind ya!” called Conner.

“Not going anywhere else!” admitted Chris, rushing after them with Ethan.

They rushed around the corner and down a corridor – two large doors whooshed open in front of them, revealing the laboratory.

“Hey!”

There was Dr. Oliver, tied to an operating table with a metallic strap. “Good timing!” he exclaimed as Conner and Chris worked to un-strap him. “Hit the red button on the control panel!” he ordered to Ethan, who rushed over.

It was just in time – the metallic doors whooshed shut in front of Mesogog and the others.

“I should’ve known you’d try to rescue me,” admitted Dr. Oliver.

“Is that your way of saying thank you?” asked Ethan.

“If it is, it sucks,” admitted Chris, turning to the door as loud, thundering knocks echoed.

“I’ll thank you for real when we get out of here,” assured Dr. Oliver.

“Whatever you’re doing, do it _quick!_ ” called Chris. “They’re breaking through.”

“We can use the main Invisi-Portal network,” said Dr. Oliver, flicking a lever on the console and making an Invisi-Portal open. “Hayley gave you the Raptor Cycles, right? This way.”

“Wait,” said Ethan, holding back Dr. Oliver. “We need to talk.”

“ _Go_ ,” ordered Dr. Oliver, impatiently. “I’ll explain later.”

“We already know everything,” said Ethan.

“We found the video diary,” added Kara.

“You’ve seen some stuff, Dr. O.,” admitted Chris. “Some _really freaky stuff._ ”

“And we know you’re a Power Ranger...”

“ _Was_ , Ethan,” corrected Dr. Oliver. “Not anymore.”

“Uh, guys! _Ready your fists_!”

The doors whooshed open. Mesogog, the woman, the General, the bird like creature and a horde of Tyrannodrones rushed into the room.

“Ranger or not, you’re mine now...” breathed Mesogog.

“I hate when he gets like this...” muttered Dr. Oliver.

“We can take it from here, Dr. O!” cried Chris. “ _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP_!”

He rushed forward, hearing the others transform behind him, and the fight began. Mesogog’s forces met them in sparks and roars. The woman parried one of Chris’s Spino Smashers and narrowly avoided the second. He rushed forward, leapt off the operating table and span in the air, spreading his arms wide. “One! Two!” the hammers met her face, almost like the spinning pedals of a pushbike.

Nearby Dr. Oliver was in combat with Mesogog – ducking and weaving, then failing to move in time and taking a kick to the chest, which knocked him to the floor. Mesogog grabbed him by the collar and threw him across the room.

“Dr. O!” cried Kira.

“Head for the portal!” ordered Dr. Oliver. “I gotta get something! Hurry!”

“We better do as he says!” suggested Conner.

“Right,” agreed Kira.

“Let’s go,” added Chris. “The uglies are waking up again...”

The foursome emerged from the other end back at their Raptor Cycles. They had just clambered onto them when the portal thrummed behind them and Dr. Oliver toppled out.

“Do we really need a souvenir?” asked Conner.

“This one we do,” said Dr. Oliver, getting to his feet, an enormous diamond rock in his hands. “Go. I’m right behind you.”

The foursome raced away through another Invisi-Portal that opened in front of them. They emerged – but they weren’t on the beach like before. They were back in the town centre.

“Any sign of him?” asked Chris as they skidded the Raptor Cycles to a halt. “Dr. O? You in there?!”

He emerged – but so did the General, the woman, the bird creature and the Tyrannodrones. The General raised his staff and fired.

“ _NO!_ ”

Chris rushed forward. He heard Conner and the others shriek his name, heard their footfalls, but it was too late – the General’s staff had fired a beam of glistening blue electricity.

Chris crashed into Dr. Oliver as the beam hit the gem. Chris was thrown back, screaming, as a bolt of electricity surged through his body. He hit the floor with a sickening crunch as Dr. Oliver vanished in a flash of white light.

“No...” breathed Chris, struggling to stand with Kira’s help, as pain rocketed through his body. “It can’t – _No... I failed..._ ”

“Such negativity,” taunted the woman. “Haven’t you learned that, in our world, anything’s possible?”

“Even the destruction of the great Dr. Tommy Oliver!” boomed the General.

“I heard my name...” Dr. Oliver formed before them. “You missed me, didn’t you, Zeltrax?”

“Oh, _thank god!_ ” exclaimed Chris, struggling to rush forward with his friends, taking Dr. Oliver’s arm for support. “Hey – Dr. O? What’s that?”

Something was shining through Dr. Oliver’s fingers – a bright, luminescent black tinged yellow. Dr. Oliver uncurled his fingers, smirking.

“A Black Dino Gem?” breathed Ethan. “Let me guess: the Power of Invisibility.”

“Looks like it,” agreed Dr. Oliver.

“That Gem belongs to my Master!” exclaimed the woman.

“There’s two things you guys need to learn about Dino Gems. One – you can’t choose them: they choose you.”

“What’s the other?”

“They go real well with Dino Morphers,” finished Dr. Oliver. He threw his arm in front of his face – there, on his wrist, glistening in the daylight, was a Dino Morpher of his own. He plunged the Gem into it.

“Hmm,” said the woman. “Aren’t you a little old for this, Tommy?”

“I may be old, but I can still pull it off.” Dr. Oliver summoned a key into his hand and plunged it into his Dino Morpher. “ _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!_ ” he cried, twisting the key. Before their eyes, he transformed – into a Ranger as black as the night, adorned with a golden belt and spikes. “Dino Thunder, Black Ranger!”

“Nice!” breathed Chris as the others cheered.

“Just like riding a bike,” declared Dr. Oliver.

“One more makes no difference!” boomed Zeltrax. “Attack!”

“Here we go again! Spino Smashers, let’s go!”

They appeared in a flash of pink and Chris rushed into the fray, swinging them in front of him and sending Tyrannodrones flying. Zeltrax stepped into the fray and he and Chris swung at the same time. Chris’s Spino Smashers bounced off his shield and his sword struck Chris across the face, knocking him flying.

He cart wheeled through the air, Spino Smashers clattering to the floor, and everything went black as he smashed into the nearby wall.

**~*~*~*~*~**

When he came too, staring at the roof of Hayley’s Cyberspace, someone was slapping his face.

“Uhhh... five more minutes, Mommy,” he muttered, rolling over into the sofa and burying his head under a pillow. “I was dreaming of – _bloody hell that’s cold!_ ” He was soaking wet and now, definitely, wide awake. Conner had thrown a bucket of water over him. “ _Did you have to do that?!_ ”

“Yes.”

Dr. Oliver was sat on the sofa opposite. “Are you back with us?” he asked, putting a hand on Chris’s shoulder. It clicked loudly.

“A bit sore, very stiff, but awake – thanks to _someone!_ ” he replied, shooting Conner a glare as he shuffled his shoulder. “Did I get smashed into a brick wall?”

“Yeah,” said Ethan. “Worried us half to death – we had to do a different Megazord combination – we used Dr. O’s Brachiozord – without you. Conner carried you the whole way here.”

“Thanks,” admitted Chris. He shuffled into a sitting position, allowing Ethan, Conner and Kira to sit next to him as his hair dripped onto the floor.

“What a day – new bikes, new Zords –” began Ethan.

“—new ranger. Well, sort of new...” finished Conner.

“Dr. O., are you gonna tell us how you happened to have that Morpher ready?” asked Kira, swilling her apple juice.

“Right after you guys became Rangers; I got an energy reading on the tracking system. I had a good idea it was another Gem. So I had Hayley build a Morpher, just in case.” He flashed his wrist at them.

“And the day of my gig?” asked Kira, as Hayley settled herself on arm rest of the sofa and handed an apple juice to Chris.

“Ooh, thanks. I’m parched.”

“I was coming to tell you guys the energy had moved, and we needed to investigate–”

“–When you were nabbed by the goon patrol. Brutal,” finished Conner.

“Yeah, but it all turned out okay,” said Dr. Oliver. He put down his own apple juice and got to his feet. “Well, I better get going.”

“Going? Where are you going?” asked Hayley, frowning.

“Shopping,” said Dr. Oliver, leaning on the back of the sofa as the group turned to stare at him. “I checked my closet this morning, and there’s a serious shortage of black in there.”

The group laughed.

“Oh, Dr. O?” questioned Chris. “You made a different Megazord combination? I thought there was only one?”

“Not now that I’m around,” said Dr. Oliver. “My Cephalozord can replace the part of the arm that yours makes. It can be useful. We can have one of us get others out of danger while the other joins in the Megazord. Even if I’m not in combat, Conner, Kira and Ethan can make one alone and you can make various combinations between you.”

“So, we just experiment and see?” questioned Chris.

“Exactly,” said Dr. Oliver. “Just like when you combine your weapons. There are many combinations. Try them all out as you go – one may not work but another will.”

“Cool. I’ll get thinking.”


	7. Diva in Distress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own the frequently mentioned Kali Briar or Anabel Brooks - they belong to Twix3780, a good friend of mine who gave me permission to use them and to whom this story is dedicated. I would not be here in this Fandom without her. 
> 
> Go and read her stuff. You will like it. It's excellent.

* * *

**Chapter VII: Diva in Distress**

* * *

“Three lattes, please.”

“Chris, are you alright?” Conner paused, clutching a deep red football in hand as his friend’s face paled and he clutched the table and his knuckles went white. “Chris?”

Chris shook his head for a moment – his waist length hair, rolling down the back of the chair, flapped.

“It _can’t be..._ ” he breathed in disbelief, scraping the chair along the floor as he turned around and met the face of an incredibly familiar woman; she hadn’t changed much from what he remembered – she was still tall, face thin and pointed, still wearing those pencil skirts that made her look professional, but the lines around her mouth were new, as were the crinkles around her eyes and the greying of hair by the ears.

“You...” she breathed, eyes darkening, brow furrowing, as Hayley handed her a tray of lattes; she frowned for a moment, noticing that none of the family had acknowledged Chris, nor could they meet his eyes.

“Me,” acknowledged Chris, awkwardly, rising from the chair and nodding to each of them in turn. “Hello, Mrs. Dunwoody. Mr. Dunwoody. Charlie, I haven’t seen you back at school lately.”

“Haven’t come back yet,” said Charlie simply. The _because of you_ wasn’t said, but hung painfully in the air between them.

“Is there a problem?” asked Hayley, rounding the bar and approaching carefully.

“Depends on them,” admitted Chris, glancing over at Hayley as he heard Kira step down from the stage onto the wooden floor. “I assume Dr. Oliver has told you the truth behind my – uh – unintended absence?”

“He has,” replied Hayley. “I also did some research of my own. Reefside Correction Facility needs to upgrade its firewalls; it was far too easy to break through.”

“Well – before you is what remains of the family I destroyed: a grieving mother, a hateful father, a brother who can’t even meet my eye. Their son paid the price for my folly.”

_“They let you out?”_

Chris crossed his arms, steadying his shoulders as Mr. Dunwoody – a portly man in a suit, with three wobbling chins and buttons that strained to stay fastened around his girth with every angry breath – marched towards him, fat finger waggling.

“Despite _several_ efforts on your part to keep me in there, Mr. Dunwoody, they let me out once my time was up; the model prisoner, I was – I paid and served and suffered. I’m well aware of you and Mrs. Dunwoody filing papers to the courts to keep me locked up past my time though.”

“ _It was what you deserved!_ ” spat Charlie, lunging forward only for his mother to grasp his shoulder and hold him back; he was dark haired and exceptionally rotund, a thick roll of fat girdling his waist and distorting the _Green Day_ logo on his shirt which was stretched to its limit around his midsection, his two chins wobbling angrily, his plump cheeks flushing. “You killed my brother.”

“I recognise – _now_ – that I made a mistake,” admitted Chris, sighing. “What I did was wrong – what I _planned_ was wrong – I’ll be forever broken by it and that will never alter. But the past is the past and I can’t change it, no matter how much I want too. I still see that charred body whenever I close my eyes. I can still hear my mother telling me George died in hospital in a medically induced coma. If you decide to forgive me, I’ll be forever grateful, but I highly doubt it’ll happen. Just know that, for whatever it's worth, I am sorry. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a band to help.” He whirled around back to Kira. He forced a smile to his face and clapped his hands together, though both she and Ethan could see the tears sparkling behind his eyelids as he blinked rapidly. “Let’s hear what you’re performing later, Kira. If it’s not good enough, I’m not letting you on that –”

_“Mr. Dunwoody!”_

_“Chris, look out!”_

Chris turned at Hayley’s exclamation and Conner’s shout – too late –

_“What the –?”_

_WHAM!_

A fist smashed into his face and he toppled backwards, pain bursting through his face as his jaw throbbed; the table he collided with bent double, skidding under him, and the condiments and glasses went flying as it crumbled and shattered into pieces of wood.

Several people in the room yelped – the new waiter, dark skinned and brown haired, jumped forward to hold back Mr. Dunwoody.

“Don’t fight back,” ordered Conner, grasping to hold Chris back as Chris flushed and balled his fists and scrambled to his feet.

Though the blood was pumping in his head and what felt like white noise was whistling between his ears, his friend was right – he had to calm down – this wasn’t him – _not anymore._

“Are you alright?” asked Hayley, putting a hand on his arm and examining his face gently.

“I think so,” admitted Chris. Hayley clicked his jaw back into place, which made Ethan wince in displeasure, and he ran his tongue across his teeth. “Nothing’s _broken_ at least. Aggh, that’ll bruise in the morning...”

“Out, Mr. Dunwoody!” ordered Hayley, whirling around.

“You can’t throw me out. I am–”

“– someone who attacked a teenager. This is my business. _Get. Out. Mr. Dunwoody.”_

“You allow him in here but intend to throw me out? _After what he’s done!?_ ”

“He’s served his time, Mr. Dunwoody,” said Hayley and her voice had taken on a tone of fury that the Rangers had never heard from her before, one that made all of them shiver in terror. “He’s paid his debt to society – and to you – and now he’s living his life, as the law allows him to. _Get. Out_.”

“ _I will not!_ I demand justice for my son – for what he’s done –”

“Trent, throw Mr. Dunwoody out of my building, please,” ordered Hayley, returning to her position behind the bar. She vanished behind the back and returned a few minutes of awkward silence later with a bag of ice-cubes from the freezer. “Kira!” she called, throwing the bag to her. “For Chris’s jaw. It’ll make the swelling go down.”

“Ah – ow – _that’s cold!_ ” exclaimed Chris, attempting to swat Kira’s hand away as she placed the bag of ice to his jaw. “Thank you...” he mumbled, noticing Mr. Dunwoody arguing with the waiter.

“Mr. Dunwoody, leave – I’m sorry, we haven’t actually properly met – you are?”

“Trent Fernandez,” said the waiter.

“Oh, you’re the new kid. I’ve been meaning to say hello – been busy –” Christopher extended a hand. “Christopher Haynes. I’m infamous around here.”

“I worked out something was going on when the Grinch over there started attacking you out of the blue,” said Trent, gesturing his head at Mr. Dunwoody as he shook Chris’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Out, Mr. Dunwoody, or I’ll have Hayley call the police.”

Mr. Dunwoody bristled and puffed himself up; a button popped open around his belly and he turned and marched away. “Mary, Charlie, we’re leaving. We’ll find somewhere that doesn’t cater to scum.”

“I live here, just like you, John!” exclaimed Chris. “Or have you forgotten? Everywhere has catered to me at least once. Old Lady Crabtree gave me some cake yesterday when she got home from Majorca – lovely woman, Trent. Lives at 22 Goose Lane – her daughter lives in Majorca with her kids. She goes several times a year to visit. You should visit her – her coffee cake is the best. And her cats are cute – her new puppy too - they enjoy licking your face and being stroked and fussed over.” Charlie picked up his coat off the hanger. “And, Charlie?” said Chris, turning to his former friend and pointing at his midsection. “Wherever you go – maybe only have one helping? You’re looking _really_ quite fat these days.”

Charlie flushed to the tips of his ears and left after his father and mother.

“Alright, people, nothing to see,” said Trent loudly to the crowd. “Help me with the table, Chris?”

“Sure. It was my fault it broke, after all. Come on, Kira, let’s hear you play.”

“Yes, let’s.” Dr. Oliver had arrived. “I haven’t heard you play yet.”

Kira stepped back onto the stage and began to sing beautifully, the whole crowd clapping once she had finished – most of them, however, had not truly been listening and she’d been mainly drowned out by white noise and the sound of video games. Chris whistled, two fingers in his mouth, and shot Kira a gleeful smirk as she glared at him.

“That was awesome,” confessed Conner, lounged in a chair at a table as Chris and Trent finished removing the broken table; Trent was called over by Hayley and crossed the room, taking the bag of broken wood with him. Chris smirked to himself and leaned on the edge of the table the rest of the group were sat at. “Is that something new?”

“He’s right,” said Chris. “You’re sounding pretty good up there.”

“I’m still working on the hook,” Kira admitted, frowning in displeasure. “But I think there’s something there.”

“I’m telling you, if this superhero gig doesn’t work out, you definitely have a musical career to fall back on!” cried Ethan, smiling brightly in delight.

“It’s kind of hard to have a musical career when you can’t even get anyone to listen to you play.”

“Well, I was listening, and I think you rock,” admitted Trent, returning to the table with a tray and a sketch book under his arm.

“What are you working on?” asked Kira.

“Not until it’s done!” exclaimed Trent, hiding it quickly. He rushed away.

“ _Whipped!_ ” called Chris after him, shooting him a mocking glance as Trent gave a very rude motion back and made several old ladies gasp. “Ow!” he protested, Kira slapping his arm. “What? He is! He fancies you! _Trent and Kira sitting in a tree – K – I – S – S – I – N – G –_ ”

“Nobody appreciates good music anymore,” interrupted Dr. Oliver, cutting off Chris’s teasing. “All you hear on the radio is that pop garbage.”

“Yeah,” agreed Hayley, approaching. “Like, what’s her name? – Kylee Styles?”

“Hey, Kylee Styles has some good music, Dr. O!” protested Conner; Dr. Oliver crinkled his nose in disbelief.

“Translation – he thinks she’s fine!” mocked Ethan, making Chris snigger.

“ _No, I don’t!_ ” protested Conner, quickly. He flushed bright red at everyone else’s glances. “Okay, yeah, _I do._ But that has nothing to do with it.”

“You know, she used to be a really good song writer,” admitted Kira, wistfully. “She _was_ really sweet too. Now she’s all about image.”

“You say that like you two are friends,” said Ethan, crinkling his nose.

“Ugh, we used to be,” replied Kira.

Conner shot a disbelieving look and Ethan tilted his head at Kira; it was clear neither of them believed her.

“What?” protested Kira, frowning. “It’s true. We were in a band together. Then she got discovered by this agent, and now she’s this huge pop diva.”

“Oh, come on, you don’t expect us to believe that, do you?” laughed Conner, slightly mockingly.

“Believe what you want,” protested Kira. “It’s true.”

“No matter what these three think, _I_ believe you, Kira!” assured Dr. Oliver.

“To be honest, I’ve never cared for Kylee Styles, myself,” admitted Chris to the group. “What?” he added as Conner shot him a horrified glance. “I’m partial to the odd _Green Day_ song here and there – I love _Boulevard of Broken Dreams_ – that was rather how I felt when I was released from juvie – and _Wake Me Up When September Ends_ from their newest album, but that’s about it – and I listened to a _lot_ of heavy metal back in my days of scum – I think I wore nothing but black for longer than I care to admit! Do you have any idea how wearing pink has altered my wardrobe? It looks like someone skinned a person alive in there!”

“Ah, here’s your chance to prove it,” said Ethan to Kira, cutting of Chris and Conner, who appeared about to argue over their differing musical interests.

“Oh?” asked Chris, leaning his elbow on Ethan’s shoulder and glancing down at the laptop screen.

“According to her fan site –”

“– Oh, you don’t follow that garbage, do you? Not you as well! Hey, get off, Conner!–”

“– she’s going to be in town to promote her new CD.”

“Oh, we are so there!” protested Conner, springing immediately to attention and releasing Chris from the headlock he’d trapped him in; he turned to Kira as he flopped back into his chair. “And since you two are such good buddies, you can hook me up.”

“Hey!” said Trent loudly, raising a hand to a man who had just entered the Cyberspace; he leapt up and rushed over. The man was tall and thin with greying, neatly cropped hair, a kind face that looked as though it could easily turned to sternness, and wore a neatly pressed suit.

“Whatever!” protested Kira.

Dr. Oliver rose; the group glanced up, watching him head towards the man – he’d tuned out and was completely ignoring the conversation.

“We’re not using Kira to get you a girlfr – I say, _Dr. O, are you alright_?” Chris shot a glance to his friends, worry streaking his face. He waved a hand in front of Dr. Oliver’s face and frowned as it was pushed aside. “Dr. O.?”

“Earth to Dr. O., you in there?” asked Conner, loudly.

“Who’s that guy?” asked Kira.

“Hmm? What guy?” asked Chris. He turned as Kira pointed and gasped. “That’s not possible. _He’s been missing for years!_ That’s Anton Mercer – remember, Dr. O. told us about him? They use to work together!”

“Where’s he been?”

“I don’t know,” confessed Chris, frowning and crossing his arms. “The paper said he’d gone missing after the island he was working on exploded in the late nineties – a deliberate murder attempt, they said.”

“You were reading the paper in the late nineties?” queried Conner, rolling his eyes. “What are you – _Ethan?_ ”

“No! I was wearing black and listening to heavy metal and hearing about Kali hot-wiring cars and blowing things up and I was just generally being a delinquent thug! No – Father mentioned it at dinner once – showed us the paper. Anton Mercer was an old friend of his cousin, apparently, back in the seventies...”

“He and Dr. Oliver seem pleased to see one another,” noted Kira.

“Pleased?” asked Chris, glancing between Kira and Dr. Oliver and Anton Mercer. “I’m not so sure. Mercer looks a bit flippant, like he’d rather be anywhere else but here. Oi, Trent! _Get over here!_ ” Trent approached, stopping at the table with a small smile on his face. “What’s going on with Creepy McCreeperson and Dr. Oliver?”

Trent’s smile faltered slightly. “That’s my father – adopted –”

“– I take back the creepy comment –”

“– He’s been at a conference in Milan. He was supposed to be back a few weeks ago, but got delayed. It’s good to have him home. Apparently, he and Dr. Oliver know one another, isn’t that right?”

Dr. Oliver had returned, looking slightly confused. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah...”

“Are you sure?” asked Chris, frowning. “You look like you’ve been struck dumb, deaf and blind in one fell swoop.”

“Dad didn’t frighten you, did he?” asked Trent. “He can be a bit prickly, but he’s basically harmless. Look – I’d better get back to work – three o’clock rush.”

“Three? Oh –” Chris said a word that made Kira exclaim “Chris!” and then turned to Dr. Oliver. “I’ve got to go. I promised Edward I’d take him pine-cone and conker hunting and I’m running late!”

**~*~*~*~*~**

About twenty minutes later, Chris watched as Edward walked ahead, picking up conkers and pine-cones and dropping them into a bag. A gust of wind whistled through his hair and a newspaper hit him in the face.

For a moment, he spluttered, waving his arms wildly to grasp at the paper, when the headline caught his face. The interview he’d given was splashed across the Reefside School Paper: _BAD CHOICE vs. SECOND CHANCE - by A. Brooks_

He scanned down the page, his eyes taking in the interview he’d given – Anabel had done just as she’d promised – she hadn’t portrayed him in a good light or a bad – merely the facts – no bias.

“...not all choices are the right ones, but, don’t we all deserve a second chance?”

He smiled. That would do nicely – and it would definitely stir up some discussion at school. Cassidy would be boiling on the inside – her name wasn’t even in the headline.

He began to laugh.

“You alright?”

He hadn’t even realised he’d stopped walking. Edward was stood in front of him, staring up at him, bag bulging full of conkers and pine-cones.

He shook his head, shaking himself back into focus. “I’m fine.”

A shriek echoed. Both brothers turned as one, eyes widening; Chris frowned.

“What was that?”

Bag of conkers swinging, Edward took off in a sprint towards the nearby mall.

“I – no – Ed – oh, you always do this – stop running off – _ED!_ ”

Chris pounded the ground after his brother – but it was too late – Edward skidded into the parking lot and there, before them, was Kylee Styles, screaming at the sight of a Tyrannodrone horde.

“Get away from me you freaks! Don’t you know who I am?!”

“Of course I do,” said the donkey-like creature, covered in muscles and fur, as Conner and Kira burst out of the doors to the mall. “I’m a big fan!”

“What the hell is that?!”

“Ed, go home!” ordered Chris. “ _Now._ I’ve got this.”

“But –”

“ _GO!_ ”

And he rushed forward, leaping into the fray; he span, punching a Tyrannodrone in the face and was knocked backwards by another kicking him in the chest. He clunked against the car behind him.

“Hey! Get off him!”

_WHAM!_

The bag of conkers smashed the Tyrannodrone in the face; Edward, face furious, fear dancing behind his eyes, was stood on the roof of the car.

“Ed? _I told you go to!_ ”

“You need help!”

“I need you safe – go – uungh!” he intercepted a punch meant for Edward and whirled the Tyrannodrone into the air. “I’ll explain – later – go!” he helped his brother down from the car. “Go. It’s not far to home and they’re not focused on – Oi, touching moment here! –” he intercepted another punch and kicked one Tyrannodrone into two behind him. “Ed – _go!_ ”

He heard the footfalls of his brother rushing away, the bag rustling, and then heard Kira bark instructions to Kylee, who turned and ran, shrieking like a banshee on repeat... right into the path of the massive furred creature, who fired at her. Before their eyes, she changed – ageing at least fifty years before their eyes; her blonde hair went grey and her beautiful face became wrinkled and faded.

“Oh, that’s not good!” he breathed as the donkey-like creature turned and ran. “Kira – Kira, stop having a flap! – get Kylee – I think it’s her? Sorry, shouldn’t laugh – te he – pa ha ha – back to Hayley’s. Conner – we’d better find Dr. O., stat!”

If he’d turned to look around, rather than rushing off with Conner, he would have spotted his brother following after him.

**~*~*~*~*~**

“A donkey that can extract the youth out of people?” gasped Ethan, watching on the screen in Dr. Oliver’s lab as the creature turned a sleeping teenager into an old man. “ _That is wrong in so many ways_!”

“Mesogog’s probably found a way to harness youth into energy,” replied Dr. Oliver. “We have to find a way to fight it. Where’s Kira?”

“She’s taken Kylee to Cyberspace,” said Conner.

“I think she’s having a meltdown over seeing her all old and shrivelled up,” added Chris. “I gotta admit... it was kind of brutal.”

“We’ll talk about respect for your elders later,” replied Dr. Oliver. “Right now, there’s something we need to take care of.”

The foursome whirled around, ready to transform – and Chris gasped – “Ed?” – his brother was stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring around the room in a state of wonder and bemusement.

“Is this what you do every day?”

“What’s he doing here?” barked Dr. Oliver.

“Edward William Haynes!” The words exploded from Chris before he could stop them and he marched over to his brother, grabbing him roughly by the arm; Edward stared up at him, defiant and feisty. _“You little sh–”_

_“I was worried –”_

_“– you were nosy –”_

_“– you ran off!”_

_“– I told you to go home!”_

“Can we do this later?” interrupted Conner, stepping between the bickering brothers.

“Fine. Edward – go to the Cyberspace. A woman there – Hayley – she’ll look after you. Tell her you’re my brother. _I mean it, young man!_ ” he added, seeing Edward open his mouth to protest. “I’ll be there later.”

“Can I see what you do first? Just once?”

Chris set his jaw and crossed his arms, turning away from his brother. Fury radiated from him and he could feel the blood pounding in his head, could feel the desire to punish the little snot for disobeying him coursing through his body.

“Fine,” he said, sighing. “Once. Then you go to the Cyberspace _and stay there!_ ” he turned back to the group and stepped back into line. “Let’s go! _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!_ ”

He transformed in a flash of pink, saw his brother’s eyes widen, and heard him gasp in shock and surprise. “You’re the Pink Power Ranger?”

“You sound surprised. Now, we’ve got stuff to do – Cyberspace, Ed! I mean it!”

They rushed away and reached the town centre, where the Donkey creature was waiting for them. They met it in combat, Ethan being knocked to the floor. Conner was punched in the stomach as Ethan scrambled back to his feet and ducked an attack. The creature swung and the twosome toppled backwards to the floor.

“We need Kira!” exclaimed Ethan.

“I called her!” called Conner. “She’s not responding!”

“Guys!”

Chris jumped forward, summoning the Spino Smashers. He crossed them over each other and took the hit, knee buckling, as the creature roared and his friends scrambled to their feet.

“Cassidy Cornell, Reefside Reporter!” Cassidy and Devin had arrived – Cassidy with her microphone out, Devin recording with his camera. “Exactly when did you know you were evil? Did you feel unloved as a little whatever-it-is-you are?”

“Why, Cassidy,” began the creature, kicking Chris in the leg and sending him toppling, and then turning to Cassidy. “Being evil has always come very naturally to me. Hey! What am I doing? _Give me your youth!_ ”

The creature fired and Cassidy and Devin aged before their eyes.

“Oh, great,” moaned Cassidy. “It’s hard enough being a woman in this profession. Now I have to fight ageism too?!”

Conner scrambled to his feet and met the donkey-like creature in combat again.

“Hold on, Conner!” cried Dr. Oliver, rushing over to help with Chris.

Chris ducked under the General’s arm – under Zeltrax’s arm – but Dr. Oliver wasn’t so lucky.

“Not so fast!” rumbled Zeltrax as Chris reached Conner, bringing the Spino Smashers up in a crash of metal to whatever the creature was made of.

“Need a hand? Back off, you ass! Ha! Donkey pun! I’m on fire today!”

The creature seemed to take offence at the pun and blasted them back. “Catch me if you can!” it cried, rushing away, Ethan hot on its heels.

“Right behind you!”

Conner and Chris took off in a run after him, the Spino Smashers spinning in Chris’s hands as he ran; Dr. Oliver, in combat with Zeltrax, didn’t follow. Conner called for Kira on his bracelet again.

They chased the creature all the way to the local tennis courts, where it stopped and turned to faced them.

“Alright, we’ve got you cornered!” cried Conner.

“That’s what you think!” brayed the creature. It turned and waved its arms and then fired explosive blasts at them out of its nose. The threesome were thrown high into the air and smashed down onto the floor.

“That’s gonna bruise...” muttered Chris.

“It’s over, Rangers!” brayed the creature triumphantly.

Chris grunted and struggled to his feet with Ethan’s help. “This guy is brutal!” he cried. “I’ll be bruised for days!”

“You said it!” agreed Conner as Ethan helped him up.

They had just gotten to their feet, ready to fight, when a loud, piercing scream ripped the air. “ _AARGH!_ ” cried Chris, covering his ears. “That’ll be Kira then!”

“What the – ?” gasped the creature as the Rangers ran to Kira.

“I think I’ve gone deaf,” admitted Chris to Kira as the scream rang through his ears.

“My ears!” moaned Conner.

“Oh, man!” exclaimed Ethan, rubbing at the side of his helmet.

“Sorry, guys,” said Kira, looking between them all. “I should’ve given you guys the heads-up on the Ptera Scream.”

“Not deaf – good to know...” muttered Chris, having heard her clearly.

“You think?” muttered Conner to Kira, who looked sorry and sheepish.

“Excellent!” breathed the creature, getting to its feet. “More youth for me!”

“I don’t think so!” Kira assured it. “ _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!_ ” She transformed into her usual yellow self. “Thunder Max Sabres!”

Together, the foursome ran, Chris’s Spino Smashers transforming into a sword; they leapt and brought their swords smashing down. The creature smashed them back; Chris and Conner flew one way, Ethan flopped to the floor, and Kira skidded away.

Landing, she picked up a tennis racket and two tennis balls. “Think you’re up for a singles match?” taunted Kira. She threw them high in the air in a serve, and swung the racket.

“You’re no match for me!” brayed the creature, firing more explosive blasts out of its nose.

But she was – the tennis balls soared into its nose, clogging up its nostrils. The explosive blasts still came – hitting the tennis balls and exploding inside its nose.

“Put them together, guys!” she called.

They formed the Z-Rex Blaster and fired – “Z-Rex Blaster! Fire!” – the Spino Smasher soaring with the blast.

The creature exploded. Seconds later, there was a clap of thunder and a pouring of rain, and the creature was back – the size of thirty storeys, as per usual.

“Dr. Oliver, this might be a good time for some heavy metal!” cried Kira through her bracelet.

“ _You got it!_ ” called Dr. Oliver’s voice in reply. “ _Brachiozord now!_ ”

“Guys, there are people around!” cried Chris. People in the park were now cowering. “Can you handle that with the Megazord? You three and Dr. Oliver’s – like when I was unconscious? I’ll get the people out!”

“Got it!” called Conner. “Good luck!”

Chris closed his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest and vanished in a flash of pink, reappearing in the park. “Ha! It worked! I’m getting the hang of that! With me!” he called to the people, ushering them over and out of the park. “Come! The others will deal with that thing! I’m getting you lot out of here! It’s not safe here for you!”

“Whoa!” cried a young boy in the group, pointing up as the Megazord dove, drill whirling, at the donkey-like creature, which toppled and exploded in an eruption of flames. A shining blue light echoed from it, zooming away into the distance.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Having taken people to safety and reunited with the team – including Dr. Oliver who seemed to have defeated Zeltrax enough to have made him flee – Chris found himself wondering just _how_ he was going to explain all this to his brother once they got back to the Cyberspace.

“Hey, that’s me!” exclaimed Kira as they entered; Hayley was sat at the desk with a drawing. It was – Trent’s drawing of her was finished and framed. It was beautiful; in it, Kira was dressed as an orange cloaked superhero with a guitar behind her blaring music. “Where did you get that?”

“Where do you think?” asked Hayley as Trent passed them.

She followed after him for a private conversation as Chris teased: “Kira and Trent, sitting in a tree – Ow!” Conner had elbowed him in the side. “I’m already bruised enough, Conner!”

She picked up her guitar and headed onto the stage. “I wrote this next song with a friend of mine a long time ago. I hope you like it.”

She began to sing; Chris flopped onto the sofa by the window, listening to her play. Soon after, as Hayley handed him two apple juices and Kylee Styles began to sing on stage with Kira, Edward flopped down next to him.

“So, are you going to explain?” he asked, taking one of the apple juices from his brother.

“I suppose I must. But, first, two rules – don’t interrupt – two rules!” said Chris, pointing a finger at Edward, his voice serious. “One: you are not, _under any circumstances_ , a member of this team. I’m not risking you’re life, even if you now know what I do. Two: you can’t tell anyone. No-one can know what I do. Dr. Oliver will probably skin me alive for letting you know what we do. Understand?”

“Yep!” said Edward, bouncing on the edge of the sofa like a five year old on sugar. “Not a word to anyone.”

“Well, it’s like this...”


	8. Game On

* * *

**Chapter VIII:** **Game On**

* * *

Chris whooped as he rolled his Raptor Cycle into the forest clearing, throwing up dirt as he skidded to a stop. Conner and Kira were already there, being lectured by Dr. Oliver.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, quickly, leaping off his Raptor Cycle. “My brother and I had to think up an excuse to get me out of the house – you know, that’s every day this week, Dr. O? I’d say Mesogog is getting bored without us around all the time and, truth be told, my parents are only going to buy your ‘school project’ excuse for so long – it’s a Saturday, after all!”

“Did you see Ethan on your way?” asked Dr. Oliver.

“No,” said Chris, shaking his head as he de-morphed, his long hair rolling to his waist. “Why? Did I miss something? He’s not been kidnapped _again_ has he? I thought we dealt with that last week?”

“We did,” said Dr. Oliver.

“We should’ve grabbed him from the Cyberspace – sorry, Dr. O.”

“Look, what’s the big deal, anyway?” asked Conner. “I mean, it’s just practice.”

“Training is just as important as the real deal!” protested Dr. O. “You never know when you might be attacked–”

As if the universe was laughing at him, a Tyrannodrone leapt from nowhere and kicked him in the back; he toppled forward into Kira and Conner’s arms. Zeltrax, the General from before, was at the front of the army.

“Well, I couldn’t have planned that better,” admitted Dr. O, as the horde of Tyrannodrones formed in front of them.

“Again?” said Chris, taking a fighting stance and sighing in annoyance. “Alright – let’s kick some ancient ass...”

He leapt into a kicking jump, knocking into one of the Tyrannodrones and sending it clattering into two of the others. With a roar they rose and charged at him, knocking him backwards. Two Tyrannodrones caught him with a roaring snicker. “Think you got me? Think again!”

He swung his legs up in a kick and, once he’d regained ground, flipped the Tyrannodrones over his head into a heap on the floor.

“Alright then – let’s finish this! _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!_ ”

He was his familiar pink before he knew it, armour glistening in the sunlight streaming down into the clearing. He heard the other s roar the command too and then, as the sound of an engine rumble became louder and louder, he ducked – Kira’s Raptor Cycle went soaring over his head.

He summoned his Spino Smashers and leapt into the fray, kicking and spinning, feet flying all directions as he span, Spino Smashers colliding with each Tyrannodrone one by one. “As much as I agree with Kali that bikes rule, I’ll do this old school. Oi, tall, dark and disgustingly ugly – pick on someone who can fight back!”

He leapt forward, soaring over two Tyrannodrones and saw Dr. Oliver take a hit from Zeltrax and skid backwards onto the floor. He closed his eyes, raised his Spino Smashers, saw the flash of pink through his eyelids, and heard the metallic smash of Zeltrax’s weapon as his Spino Smashers took a hit from Zeltrax that was meant for Dr. O. Dust flew everywhere as both parties skidded backwards.

“Aggh!” he coughed. “ _Holy –!_ ”

Zeltrax had appeared out of the dust, weapon raised.

The two screamed in unison – a deep, guttural scream – and everyone in the forest turned to watch; he heard Dr. O cry “ _No!_ ” and heard Kira and Conner cry “ _Look out!_ ”

His Spino Smashers met Zeltrax’s sword as it swung with all the force the General could muster – the metallic ringing was deafening – his hands flew to his ears – the Spino Smashers hit the ground. Zeltrax seized his chance and raised his weapon again.

Chris rolled aside, ears ringing with white noise, and grasped his Spino Smashers. He closed his eyes, vanished in a flash of pink, and was behind Zeltrax. He leapt – Zeltrax did too.

_WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!_

Their weapons met, again and again in combat, and Chris didn’t know what fuelled him – rage, power, something dark – and, at that particular moment, he didn’t care. He whirled around and ducked, crossing his arms above him. Zeltrax’s sword came down onto the Spino Smashers and Chris mustered everything he’d got.

Across the clearing, Conner gasped. Chris was literally smoking, white smoke erupting from anywhere it could. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Chris roared and leapt, knocking the sword high into the air – Zeltrax stumbled. Chris whirled into an upright position and caught the sword. Now armed with a new weapon, the tide seemed to change.

Sword and Smasher met Shield and Zeltrax was backing away as Chris advanced like a bulldozer, smoking and screaming – an unstoppable wall of anger and fury.

It finally came to an end in one fell swoop – Chris leapt, spinning in the air, arms spread – sword and Spino Smashers span and whirled, the hammers clattering against Zeltrax.

And he toppled, hitting the floor with a sickening crunch.

_“Enough!”_

Conner was there to stop the final killing strike – Tyranno Staff rattling as the Spino Smasher came down.

“ _Out of my way!_ ”

“ _No!_ ”

The two were equally strong, Conner’s Tyranno Staff pushing back against Chris’s Spino Smashers; Chris was growling, Conner panting from panic, both fuelled by something – Conner to protect, Chris to destroy – and neither was willing to back down.

“ _Conner, move! He’s mine!_ ”

“ _You’re frightening me! I thought you weren’t a monster?!_ ”

That seemed to do it. Whatever it was fuelling Chris seemed to sink from him and he sank to his knees, panting, the Spino Smashers clattering to the floor. “ _No_ – _not a monster_ – calm down, Chris – _CONNER!_ ”

Conner had let his guard down, having forgotten that Zeltrax was behind him. Zeltrax struck Conner across the back of the head and he screamed and toppled, struggling to climb back to his feet from the pain. Chris felt his rage boil and leapt. The Spino Smasher hit Zeltrax in the face and the fight ended.

Zeltrax wobbled to his feet.

“It’s over!” exclaimed Chris, taking a fencing stance and swiping his Spino Staffs in front of him as if wielding two broadswords. “I win! Tell your Master that my friends are off-limits. I’ll take him personally if I have too.”

Zeltrax grumbled and vanished in a flash of green light.

“Conner!” Chris turned and ran, Kira and Dr. O reaching his side too. Chris skidded down onto his knees, shaking Conner back into movement. “Conner, speak to me. Are you alright?”

Conner shook himself to regain his composure and he demorphed. “I’m fine,” he said. He stared up at Chris, who was panting heavily as he helped him into a sitting position. “What the hell was that?”

“I have no idea,” admitted Chris, laughing in a combination of fear and terror. “But, whatever it was, if I can control that, we’ve got another weapon in our fight. Let’s go and find Ethan. He needs to know. Up you get...” He helped heave Conner to his feet. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’ll bruise and have a bump for a few days, but being morphed made it a lot less painful.”

“ _You_ shouldn’t have gotten in the way – _you could have been killed!_ ” Chris's face was pale, his eyes wide as he shook Conner roughly.

“ _You_ _lost control!_ ” snapped Conner back. He and Chris stood there in awkward silence for a moment and then he sighed, turning to Dr. Oliver. “What was that about anyway?”

“Probably a distraction,” noted Dr. Oliver, who was staring with something – wonder? Anxiety? Chris couldn’t tell – at him. “You guys go to the cafe and get Ethan.”

“On it!”

“Okay!”

“You got it!”

They arrived at the Cyberspace approximately ten minutes later.

“You think he’s still here?” asked Conner.

“It’s Ethan,” said Chris. “Even if the whole world was exploding around him, if literal meteors were falling on his head, he’d _still_ be playing video games.”

“Let’s find out,” suggested Kira.

A snickering echoed from behind them. “What in the name of my mother’s undergarments is _that_?” breathed Chris at the sight of a beetle like creature covered in flowers.

“Oh, great,” sighed Conner in annoyance. “I’ll have that image in my head for weeks.”

“If you’re looking for your friend, you’re too late. Unless you want to join him?”

The threesome rushed forward, meeting the creature in combat. Kira kicked, Conner punched and Chris dived.

“Dr. O.!” cried Conner into his bracelet. “We found one of Mesogog’s buddies, but no Ethan.”

“ _I’m getting a reading on him. Keep looking, while I try to pinpoint the signal._ ”

The creature fired a beam of red energy at them and they leapt aside just in time.

“Easy for him to say,” muttered Conner to Chris.

Kira ducked an attack and rushed over to her two friends, who were hiding behind a stack of boxes perched on the back of a truck outside the Cyberspace.

“Now would be a really good time to find Ethan!” noted Conner, looking over his shoulder at his friends and narrowly avoiding another shot from the creature.

“See if you two can hold his fire,” suggested Chris, shaking Conner’s shoulder to get his attention. “I’ll check inside.”

“Check fast!” ordered Conner, avoiding another attack. “I don’t know how long we can hold him off.”

Chris took off in a run, rushing to the Cyberspace as Conner charged at the creature.

The Cyberspace was dark black inside, closed for the night. “Of course,” he remembered, thinking back to a conversation they’d had with Hayley the week before. “ _Space Widows_ is on tonight. How Hayley watches that trash, I’ll never know. All they do is moan about men...” he glanced around anxiously, hearing Conner crash against the wall outside. “Ethan? Ethan – where are you? Now isn’t the time for hide and – whoa... somebody’s a hacker...”

A large device full of wires was sitting next to the computer and Ethan’s video game, _Wizard Wood_ , which was beeping away on the screen, blaring mindlessly to an empty cafe. Chris picked up the device and checked it over. “Did he make this? Okay, _I have got to get that boy a date_... or at least a date with Playboy – _Whoa!_ ” The device flashed blue, Chris was blinded and, before he knew it, he was crashing down on his back into a wet field in the middle of a forest. “– Magazine...” he finished, staring up. “Ow...”

Ethan was fighting nearby. “Ethan? What the hell is going on?”

“Welcome to my world!” called Ethan.

“I don’t suppose you know how to get out of here, do you?”

“I don’t even know how I got _in_!” groaned Ethan, stumbling to his feet and clutching a bruise on his side.

The things before them, whatever they were, charged at them. The twosome scattered; one of the creatures lunged at Chris, who ducked and twisted its arm, throwing it over his head and into the tree behind. It retaliated by kicking him in the back and sending him into a roll.

“Have you tried to Morph?” he suggested, springing up next to Ethan, who was being backed into a corner.

“What would that do?!” bemoaned Ethan.

“Keep us alive long enough to figure a way out!” hollered Chris over the deafening noise the creatures before him were making.

“Good enough for me,” admitted Ethan. “Ready?”

“Always,” replied Chris, his eyes sparkling. The feeling he’d felt before was fuelling inside him, bubbling to the surface.

“ _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!_ ”

The twosome transformed and charged into the fray; Ethan dove to the floor, planting himself on his back and kicking his feet out at the approaching creatures.

“What are these things anyway?” called Chris.

“Triptoids,” said Ethan. “We’re in _Wizard Wood_.”

“We’re in your video game?” exclaimed Chris, catching a Triptoid in an attack and, when he spoke again, his voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, that explains _everything..._ ”

“Shut up!” said Ethan, holding out a hand. “Ready for a spin?”

“I am. Stand back!”

“I meant using – _whoa!_ ”

Ethan watched as Chris span on one leg on the spot, Spino Smashers held in his spread-eagle arms. Smoke was pouring off him, whirling around him in a tornado of white and the Spino Smashers shone a deep amethyst purple. He could barely hear himself think over the shrieking roars echoing from Chris and the Triptoids as Chris mindlessly and ruthlessly slayed them.

Finally, the battle came to an end. Chris stood there, amongst the remnants of the Triptoids, panting heavily, his arms shaking. His legs gave out and he sank to his hands.

“Chris!”

Ethan rushed over to help, grasping his friend’s arm. “Are you alright?”

“Fine – fine – I worked it out. I don’t know how to control it yet – but I know what causes it and where I’ve felt this before... that’s... something, I suppose; I’ll have to talk with Dr. Oliver. How do we get out of here? I’m exhausted. I think the forest took a lot out of me this morning?”

“The forest?”

“You missed training. I... had an experience much like the one you’ve just watched. Ended up briefly fighting Conner. Ohh, not more of the damn things.”

Ethan heaved him to his feet and the twosome began to fight again. A flash of blue light erupted around them; neither of them noticed that they were back in the real world until Chris nearly upended a table when a Triptoid kicked him in the chest.

“What’s going on?!” exclaimed Conner; he and Kira were staring slack jawed at them.

“You don’t want to know,” said Chris. “Trust me, you _really don’t_. The day I’ve had... I’m going to buy a giant ice-cream sundae once this is all over... _and then I’m going to smash it in Ethan’s face, just because I can!_ ”

“Oh man!” cried Ethan as a Triptoid he’d thrown skidded the length of the bar and smashed every cup along the way. “Hayley’s seriously going to lose it! Hey – what did I do?”

“You know _exactly_ what you did. Conner, Kira – morph, and meet us outside, ok?”

“Glad – Chris!”

Chris swayed, a hand to his head as the room began to spin in his vision; his head pounded and the Triptoid in front of him was beginning to blur as smoke rose to covered his vision. “Whoa...” he muttered. “Why is everything spinning?”

He flopped backwards into a table, upending the condiments into the Triptoids face. The last thing he heard before falling into total unconsciousness, head pounding, the sound of his heart thumping at a mile a minute, was Conner shouting his name.

**~*~*~*~*~**

He came to in the base; Hayley was mopping a cold towel over his head. “Ohhh... what hit me?” he moaned, clapping a hand to his head. “I feel like I was just beaten by a tonne of bricks.”

“Don’t move,” she ordered. “Your temperature is through the roof – you’ve been literally smoking for the past three hours. We’re looking for a way to stop it.”

Chris sat up painfully and his jaw dropped at the sight of a purple-clad wizard in front of him. “That’s – I – what on – _is that a wizard_?! Ethan! First you create a device to suck me into a video game and now you’re filling the base with wizards?!”

Dr. Oliver was lecturing Ethan nearby; Conner wasn’t paying much attention, despite being sat nearby.

“So, let me get this straight – you were so caught up in a video game that you let a monster sneak up behind you?”

“It’s a pretty tight game, Dr. O.!” protested Ethan, shrugging.

“No, it’s not...” said Chris, swinging his legs around so that they dangled off the bench he was laying on. “Having been _in_ said game today, I can assure you – It’s anything but ‘tight.’”

“You’re awake!” Conner was by his side in an instant, face full of relief and something else that Chris couldn't identify, and Dr. Oliver had stopped lecturing. Seeing that Chris was improving, Hayley returned to the computer seat that she’d been sat at before she’d begun mopping his head. “Are you alright? You passed out on us. Again.”

“I know – Dr. O., I think I worked it out – what’s happening, what’s _causing_ it.”

“You have?” asked Dr. Oliver, genuinely intrigued. “And? What did you work out?”

“It’s my anger,” said Chris. “Since I came out of juvie I’ve been pretty grumpy – well, before I went in, I was grumpy too – but it’s worse now. And... It’s empowering me in fights. But it’s draining me as well – not to mention being uncontrollable. That’s why I snapped out of it in the forest – fear of hurting you, Conner, was enough to scare me straight – at least for that moment. But I was annoyed at Ethan in the video game and then I’d barely started to recover before more of those things turned up and I lost control. My body couldn’t take anymore and gave up.”

“You know, this might not be a total loss,” said Hayley, swivelling in her chair.

“What do you mean?” asked Dr. Oliver, glancing across at Hayley.

“That creature’s energy left a residual power pulse,” she replied. “If I recalibrate the settings, I might be able to use this thing to send Beldorf back. There’s just one problem...”

“What’s that?”

“I need more power to fuel this thing,” she admitted. “And, if Chris is up for it, I might have a way?”

“You do?” asked Chris, glancing over at her. “How? And how does it involve me?”

“Well, you can change heat into energy – it’s how Geothermal Power Plants work,” said Hayley. “If Chris can get sufficiently angry, I can use the heat coming off him when he smokes to boost the power of Ethan’s device.”

“ _No way!_ ” Conner leapt to his feet. “We’ve nearly lost him twice today! _No! You’re not_ –”

He broke off at someone taking his arm and stared back, slack jawed, at Chris, who was shakily getting to his feet. “Conner. It’s gallant of you to defend me, but I’m fine. _I can handle it_.”

“ _You’re not fine and you can’t handle it!_ ”

“ _Conner!_ I’ll be fine. I promise. Hayley won’t let anything happen to me.” He turned to Hayley. “What do I have to do?”

“Take hold of these wires,” she said, handing two thick black wires with orbs on the end to him as he approached. “And then think of the thing that makes you the angrier than anything else in the world does.”

Chris took the wires in his hand, closed his eyes and thought – and regretted it immediately as one particular day rumbled across his thoughts. “No –” he breathed, terror sinking into his voice.

The computer recording his vitals whirred – his vitals rising and falling across the screen.

“Chris?”

“– _No. Not that day!_ _I can’t_ – _I don’t want them to see_ –!”

It was too late. An image danced across the screen, red and anger filled, a heartbeat thundering through the backing track. Chris was younger, handcuffed, and stern faced with shorter hair as he stared defiantly up at a portly judge sitting in the bench who brought a gavel crashing down. “– _I sentence you to fifteen months in Reefside Correction Facility_.”

Conner watched the computer begin to beep and saw what was going to happen before it did: Chris’s knuckles went white as his grip tightened and the power bar on the screen began to fill. He screamed in rage, frightening and monstrous, hands and wires smashing down onto the computer desk – Kira and Ethan scrambled back in shock – Chris’s eyes flew open, but he wasn’t inside. Whatever was fuelling him now was something entirely differently. His eyes were shining as bright as the sun, illuminating the screen, as his screaming turned almost inhuman. Smoke began billowing from his eyes, fingernails, out of the tops and sides of his shoes, out of any available place it could, and he began to violently shake on the spot.

“ _Hayley, do something!_ ”

Her hands moved like wildfire, blurring in everyone’s vision, clacking on the keyboard. “ _I can’t! It’s not stopping!_ ”

“ _Chris! CHRIS, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!_ ”

“We’ve got to stop that creature out there!” interrupted Dr. Oliver; Conner shot him a murderous glance from where he was shaking Chris to try and wake him. “I know it’s not a good time, but Chris is safer in here like this than he is out there and it may help Chris – he’s been fighting that thing like you all have –”

“– _I’m not leaving him_. Ethan, Kira, go with him and stop that freak. I’m staying with Chris. He’s our friend – _one of us has to stay_.”

“Will you be alright?” asked Kira, taking Conner by the arm as smoke continued to rise from Chris.

“I will,” he said, defiant and angry, though not at her. “I’ll break him out of this, even if it kills me.”

However reluctantly, Kira left with Ethan and Dr. Oliver. She stared frequently back over her shoulder, fear streaking her face; Ethan looked sick to his stomach at having to leave; Dr. Oliver couldn’t bear to look back.

“ _Get him out of it!_ ” ordered Conner to Hayley, whirling around to face her, as soon as the others had left the room.

The power bar on the screen reached full power – Beldorf vanished in a flash of blue – but Chris didn’t stop screaming – the computer began to blare loudly, an alarm ringing from somewhere Conner couldn’t pinpoint. _ERROR – REDUCE POWER_ flashed on the screen. Conner stared anxiously between Chris and Hayley and then dove, shoving Hayley out of the way just in time; she and Conner toppled backwards over the backrest of the chair, upending it.

The main computer screen exploded with an ear splintering, bone rattling, Earth shattering noise – Chris was thrown across the room, spinning head over heels, and hit the entrance above the doorway with a heavy crunch. Dust and debris filled the room as he hit the ground with a sickening squelch.

Conner struggled to scramble to his feet, untangling himself from Hayley, shoes slipping in the debris of the computer that was now strewn across the room, and rushed to his friend’s side.

“ _Chris!_ ”

He rolled him over and yelped, recoiling back in terror, something wet and red and sticky dripping from his fingers. Blood was pouring from Chris’s face – squelching from his nose and out of the corner of his mouth, and his eyes stared lifelessly up, open but unseeing.

“There’s heart beat,” said Conner, barely able to even consider the hope of Chris being still with them as he stared up at Hayley, one hand on Chris’s chest, the other behind his head. “It’s weak, but it’s _there..._ ”

“We may be able to save him,” said Hayley, settling herself at the debris covered desk. She coughed and pushed the debris aside; the computer sparked violently in front of her as she plunged her hand into the bag next to her upturned chair and pulled out a laptop. She clunked it down on the desk and flipped it open – it roared into life and she opened a programme on the computer labelled _Lab Viral Access_. “If I’m clever – and I am – then I can – _yes!_ Manual access to the main computer. One advantage to making the technology, I know the firewall weaknesses easily.” Her fingers clacked across the keyboard. “It’s still here – _look!_ ”

Conner lowered Chris’s head gently back onto the stone floor and rushed to her side.

“Conner, we can save him!” she promised, seeing Conner’s pale, fear streaked, dust stained face twitch a smile slightly. “But it’ll be tough. We can suck you inside Chris’s mind, like we did with Beldorf and Ethan’s game, and you can find what’s stopping him from waking up and break it. Are you ready?”

“I am,” said Conner, setting his jaw in determination. “Get me in there. I’ll bring him back.”

Hayley pulled out a new wire from her bag, with a large orb on the end. “Hold tight,” she said. “And good luck.”

She pressed the enter button on her laptop and he was almost struck dumb as anger and fury and fear coursed through him.

 _Is this what Chris feels?_ He thought. _No wonder he couldn’t fight it._

“ _Aggh!_ ” he bent double, the emotions coursing through his veins and into his skin; he began to cry from the pain, tears splattering down his cheeks.

“Chris! Conner!”

Kira, Ethan and Dr. Oliver were back, apparently victorious. The celebratory smiles on their faces vanished as they caught sight of Chris, laying lifeless and bleeding profusely on the floor, and Conner, bent double, crying in pain, tears streaking down his face.

He turned his to look at them – and then everything went black and the base vanished. His eyes rolled back in his lifeless head and he flopped like a marionette to the floor. Hayley caught him just in time.

“Help me get him onto the bench.”

Ethan scrambled over Chris’s lifeless body and heaved Conner off of the floor with Hayley. “How does an athlete weigh so much?” he grunted. “No more sundaes for you, dude...”

**~*~*~*~*~**

_“– three days in a jail cell before you could be bothered to come and get me!”_

_“– you almost killed someone!”_

_“– So was that a reason to leave me there!? You know what? I can’t do this today!”_

_“BOY!”_

Conner shot up, gasping for breath, and took in his surroundings. It looked like the forest outside of Reefview where they’d met for training that morning. But, as he realised the differences, he could tell it wasn’t – it was something darker, something more twisted. The sky shone down at him, a blistering red, and the grass beneath his legs was the colour of blood.

 _This is Chris’s mind?_ He thought. _Something in here doesn’t want to let him go._

A shuddering moan ripped him from his ruminations and he looked around anxiously. He spotted it – or, rather, _him_. Chris was stumbling through the forest ahead, but he looked terrible – his eyes were sunken and blood shot and he looked paler than usual. His clothes were torn, his hair wild, sliced in all directions and lengths, blood pouring from his mouth and nose, darkened bruises covering the skin Conner could see.

He scrambled to his feet and rushed forward, but he was too late. Chris vanished in front of him. Frustrated, he span around several times, looking this way and that, for any sign he could. Then he found one – a _literal_ sign, plastered to the tree.

_To save the one you seek,_

_At what he fears most you must peak._

_And cleanse this landscape,_

_If you wish his escape._

“A riddle? Is this one of Dr. O.’s pop quizzes?”

He sighed in annoyance and then smiled as he caught sight of footsteps leading into the forest. Following them, he trudged deeper in.

_I’m coming, Chris. I’m coming. Just hold on._


	9. Beneath The Surface

* * *

**Chapter IX: Beneath The Surface**

* * *

“They’re at it again,” muttered Edward to Chris, who lay in a hospital bed, attached to an IV machine with wires. “Mom’s shouting at your Dr. Oliver. Dad’s punched him in the face – twice – and Gran just let them get on with it – after shouting at Dad for causing a scene, mind you. The others told me what happened. I’ll be here until you wake up.”

Chris’s extremely pale face didn’t respond – the heart-rate monitor just continued to beep slowly.

“I came as soon as I heard!” Trent, dark face pale with worry, had arrived. “Is there any movement?”

“Nothing,” said Edward. “He’s been like that since they told me...”

“And Conner?” asked Trent, glancing over at the unconscious boy in the other bed.

“There are signs of life – whatever’s going on in there, it seems stressful. His heart rate keeps rising and falling, as if he’s fighting something – _it’s off again!_ ” he leapt to his feet as Conner’s heart rate monitor began to beep rapidly, heart rate racing to over 130 beats per minute, and he began to writhe in the bed. “ _Nurse!_ ” he cried, rushing from the room.

**~*~*~*~*~**

_WHAM!_

Conner’s hand smashed against the cloaked figure before him, sending it flying. It groaned and heaved itself to its feet and swung back, clocking Conner around the face.

He stumbled backwards, clutching at his bleeding nose, and then weighted himself into the ground and charged, screaming in rage. He caught the figure around the waist and the twosome toppled off the edge of the cliff they were fighting on.

Both screamed – the figure’s deeper and more guttural – as they splashed beneath the surface of the blood red water below. Conner emerged first, coughing and spluttering, flailing wildly as the current began to pull them.

**~*~*~*~*~**

_150\. 160. 170. 180._

“What the hell’s happening in there!?”

Edward whirled around as Chris’s heart rate monitor began to race up like Conner’s. The machine sparked, the nurse leapt back in shock, and Chris began to writhe in the bed like Conner was.

“Chris!” He rushed past the nurse, grasping his brother by the shoulder. “ _CHRIS!?_ ”

“No!” Trent caught him around the waist, dragging him away, kicking and screaming, swearing blue murder, words vile and furious, as the nurses and doctors began to file around with defibrillators. Dr. Oliver, Ethan and Kira stared in through the outer window.

“We can’t lose them,” said Kira, vehemently, turning from the window. “I’ll see if Hayley knows anything.”

She left, whispering into her bracelet, head low, to hide the tears sparkling in her eyes. Ethan watched her go, swore to himself, and rushed away. As soon as he was out of sight of anyone, he swore violently, words that his mother would wash his mouth of with soap for if she heard them, and punched the wall, screaming in despair.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Conner spluttered as terror seared through him. He kept sinking beneath the surface, coughing and spluttering up water, arms and legs flailing uselessly. The current had both him and the cloaked figure and they sank out of sight over the waterfall, Conner being battered and bruised by the swell.

Everything went black as he crashed against something heavily beneath him.

Kira and Ethan returned as the life-support machine for Conner flat lined and he slumped into unconsciousness in the bed.

Kira cried out in shock, burying her head into Ethan’s chest. Dr. Oliver hanged his head.

“No...” breathed Edward, leaning against the window as Chris flat lined too. He sank to the ground, crying in despair; Trent’s heart broke for the boy as he began to shake, whimpering and shrieking, hands balled into fists as he thumped on the windows.

“Son!”

_WHAM!_

Edward was on his feet in an instant and his fist smashed around his father’s face with a sickening crack. His father cried out, clutching at his nose, blood pouring between his fingers as he stumbled backwards into the reception desk, a look of terror on his face at the sight of his apoplectic son.

Edward’s face contorted with rage, fury etching every line of his young face, his own heart rushing with adrenaline as he wound up another fist and swung again, lunging forward at his father; his mother cried out and his grandmother rushed to her feet to pull her daughter away.

Trent stepped in between them and caught it mid-swing, Edward’s fist smacking violently against the palm of his hand as the nurses and doctors rushed around, delivering CPR.

“He wouldn’t want this!” he hissed, fighting against Edward as he swung the other fist again – this time at his own face. “Chris wouldn’t want this! _He’d want you to be better than he was!_ ”

Edward didn’t reply, and the fists didn’t uncurl, but he didn’t swing at Trent.

“Edward –”

_WHAM!_

Dr. Oliver recoiled in pain, rubbing his jaw, which cracked from the force of Edward’s fist.

“If he dies, it’s on you,” spat Edward furiously, through tears and a choking voice. “All of it.”

“I know,” said Dr. Oliver, reaching out for Edward’s shoulder as the boy continued to cry and rage. “ _I know_.”

“They’re beating! Guys!”

Edward whirled around at Ethan’s exclamation – it was – both Conner and Chris’s machines were beeping again.

He laughed – he wasn’t sure if it was relief or disbelief, as he sank to his knees again – and, quite frankly, he didn’t care.

Ethan’s hand clasped over his shoulder. “They’ll make it,” he said, assuredly, though he felt anything but sure. “If they don’t, I’ll go in there and find them and bring them back to life, just so that I can kill them again for putting us through this.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

Conner came too on the shores at the bottom of the waterfall; he was face down in the sand. He coughed and retched, vomiting onto the shore – a mix of water and what he’d eaten that day.

The figure lay nearby, totally lifeless.

He heaved himself to his feet and lumbered painfully over to it and threw back the hood. Chris’s face, pale and unconscious, stared up at him.

 _That makes sense_ , he thought. _What better defence mechanism than yourself? What are you hiding from me?_

He took Chris’s hand and gasped as a memory, not one of his own, rushed past his vision and everything blurred around him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

When he came too, struggling to his feet, panting heavily from exertion, he was back in the hallway at school, but it was different – earlier; the supply closet, Ethan’s future domain, wasn’t yet finished.

And his heart sank as he realised where he was.

“That day...” he breathed, staring around the corridor. He hadn’t been there – his mother had taken him out for the day so that he could attend a football training session – but he’d seen Cassidy’s recording; the email had been in everyone’s inbox within the hour.

_Chris pushed open the door to the supply closet, sneering in disgust at the thought of them turning it into a computer room – just another place for the nerds to linger – and shifted the fireworks in his arms._

He was different, Conner noticed, staring in both fascination and horror – he and Chris had seen each other on odd occasions around the school, had passed in the hallway, but had never truly spoken a word. He was still tall, though not as tall as Conner knew him, and his hair was only shoulder length, not down to his waist. He was also much less open – Conner could feel the hatred radiating off him, could feel how closed off, he was. How alone...

_He stopped in the hall and moved to his knees, opening the bag on his shoulder. He lined the bricks inside it in a row, then rested the fireworks on to them and began to pour a bottle along the floor. Black powder poured from it, soaking the hallway floor in a pattern._

_Chris snickered to himself and plunged his hand into his pocket._

_“Ten o’clock,” he said to himself, looking down at the watch on his arm as he opened the small box of matches that he’d retrieved from his pocket. “Right on time.”_

_He struck the match, staring down gleefully at the sight of the burning flame, and then dropped it. The black powder –_ gunpowder, Conner realised in horror _– began to spark and pop, as the fire danced across it and Chris laughed evilly, whooping with glee._

_An ear splintering bang filled the corridor and the fireworks soared, whirling and dancing, down the hallway._

Conner leapt aside, even though he didn’t need too – he was in no danger here, not in this memory, not in something he didn’t exist in – and stared at the clock, realising Chris’s mistake, as it stared down at them, reading 09:50am.

_A door opened and his face filled with glee – at last, revenge!_

Conner saw it happen before it did and he felt sick to his stomach; a tall, broad youth with blonde hair stepped out of the door.

_Chris’s expression changed to one of horror – “GET DOWN!” he cried, starting forward in a run – but it was too late: George Dunwoody had stepped into the hallway, right into the path of the fireworks. He turned at the shout and his face contorted in terror as one hit him in the chest, large and red, squealing like a whistle._

_He was lifted off his feet and flew backwards down the length of the hallway, over the steps at the end, hitting the electric box on the wall with a sickening squelch. It exploded with an Earth rattling boom, showering the hallway in sparks and fire as his body flopped forward, charred and blackened and unconscious._

_Chris cried out, raising a hand, blinded by the explosion as he was thrown down the length of the steps and hit the floor._

_The broken body stirred feebly, moaning in pain, blood pooling around him, flakes of skin ripping and cracking._

_A bell rang – the sprinkler system activated and people filed into the hallway. For a moment, Chris just stared – someone cried out in shock, then Cassidy was there filming, and then a crowd of people were pushing into the hallway, gasping and screaming and Principal Rathbone was striding towards them – and then he scrambled to his feet, turned, pushed past the muttering crowd behind him, and ran._

“Now you know.”

Conner whirled around. It was the Chris he knew; he wasn’t looking at him, his eyes fixed down on the charred, smoking form of George Dunwoody. “I never wanted any of you to see me like that – or to know the truth. I tried to save him. But I couldn’t – he was doomed from the moment I dropped the match. I’ve seen this image in my dreams so many times that I forget it was real sometimes. Or, I hope it wasn’t.”

“Chris,” said Conner. “You were –”

“A monster? A prick? _I know_.” His voice sank and Conner just wanted to take the pain from him, to tell him it was alright, but Chris was crying before he could. “Just look at me...” He waved a hand and the memory reversed; George hadn’t hit the electric box yet, and his past self was rushing down the hallway, a look of horror on his face. “A good actor, even back then. That’s not horror at him about to hit the electric box, you know? It’s horror at the prank having gone wrong. George and I weren’t close, but I didn’t...”

He trailed off.

“You didn’t want him dead.”

“No,” said Chris, voice breaking, as he turned away from Conner and wiped at his face. “Never. I can see Charlie’s face in that court room – he couldn’t look at me, he was broken and defeated, unable to do anything but cry. God. How he must have felt when they switched George’s life-support off....”

“What?” Conner stared up at Chris.

“Remember?” asked Chris, turning to his friend. “I told you. George died in hospital – he’s not dead, there, on the floor; he’s stirring, feeble, but alive. Barely.” He pointed at George, moving the memory on to show the blackened, charred form as he moaned on the floor. “They put him in a medically induced coma to operate on him, but he never woke up. Poor boy. He was only seventeen. I cut his life short and he wasn’t even in his prime yet.”

“You couldn’t have known he’d be there...”

“I should have planned things better – no. _No._ _I shouldn’t have done it at all_! Look at the chaos I caused. All I could do was run.” The memory moved on again, to Chris pushing through the crowd. “Still think I’m worth saving?”

“Always,” said Conner. “You regret it now, don’t you?”

“Always,” said Chris, staring down at George Dunwoody on the floor. “If I could change the past and save him...”

“You would. But you can’t,” said Conner, knowingly, putting a hand on Chris’s shoulder comfortingly. “What’s done is done. All you can do now is move on. Remember what you did, but don’t let it control you. Your past makes you who you are, but your future is whatever you choose to make of it. You’re making good on it. You’re a Power Ranger. You’re saving lives now, not taking them. You’re a hero.”

“ _No!_ ” snapped Chris, vehemently, staring in shock at Conner, face paling in terror. “I’m not a hero. I won’t ever be. I’ve got a stain in my past – a black, charred stain.”

“You’re making up for it. Stains can be removed with enough scrubbing. Keep scrubbing, as you are with us, as a Power Ranger, and you’ll be a hero.”

“Hmm,” said Chris, crossing his arms and huffing. “How did you get in here anyway?”

“Hayley,” said Conner and Chris nodded in understanding – what _couldn’t_ Hayley do? “They’re waiting for us to wake up. Are you ready to go?”

“Not yet,” said Chris, sinking into a sitting position, his back against the lockers. “Stay with me for a while? I... I need to face up to it. I can’t just keep brushing past it, can’t keep pushing it to the back of my memory and try to forget it.”

“Show me then,” said Conner, sliding down next to Chris, a hand on his shoulder. “Show me the rest. Show me what I have to fix.”

Chris smiled sadly. “Alright,” he said. “Promise you won’t hate me?”

“Promise.”

“Then buckle up. You’re going to see me rage at a judge, among other things.”

“They’ll understand, you know?” said Conner, as their surroundings swirled and they were sat in the jury box in a court room. “Kira and Ethan and Dr. Oliver. They’ll understand. You don’t need to fear them judging you if they see this.”

Chris smiled weakly back at him. “Here we go then.”

“Oh, and by the way, I’m ready to face my own fears. I’m ready to learn to swim. No more excuses.”

“Good,” said Chris, smiling. “Wednesday. After school. As agreed.” The smile fell as the memory began to play.

**~*~*~*~*~**

The clock struck one; Edward sat in the chair next to Chris’s bed. The heart rate monitor beeped and Chris shot up, gasping heavily for breath, heart rate thumping. Trent yelped at the next bed as Conner shot up, awake too, spluttering for breath.

“Chris!” Edward cried, lunging at his brother and catching him around the waist. “ _You’re alive!_ ”

“I was the last time I checked,” he said, running a hand through his sobbing brother’s hair; he met Conner’s eyes across the room and nodded, mouthing _thank you_ at him. Conner nodded. Nurses and doctors filed into the room at the cry.

He heard someone whoop and laughed at the sight of Ethan and Kira cheering, jumping on the spot.

“You gave us quite a fright, young man.” His grandmother had entered the room. She was smiling brightly.

“Did I?” he asked. “I’m sorry. Ed, I need you to let go of me.” His brother shook his head, still sobbing in relief into the white hospital gown he wore. “I can’t get up if you’re in the way. I need the toilet. Get off or I’ll pee on you.”

Edward let go, reluctantly, and barely left his side until he closed the bathroom door. Once he had done his business and washed his hands, he caught sight of a pair of scissors sat on the side of the sink. He stared at them for a moment and then picked them up and opened them.

He stared at himself in the mirror, leaning heavily on the sink.

“Conner’s right,” he said to himself. “Time to make up for it.”

He raised the scissors, grasped his hair into a ponytail, and snipped, watching the hair falling onto the floor behind him.

A knock came from the door and he raised his head, looking up at the shoulder-length hair hanging around his face. He smiled, crossed the room, and opened the door.

Conner was stood there; he smiled at the sight of him as Trent gasped in surprise.

“That’s better,” he said, happily.

“Yeah,” agreed Chris. “Time to make up for it. That’s my past. Now I move on to my future.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

In the days that followed their recovery, Conner was discharged into the hands of his mother.

“Are you sure you’re alright, sweetie?”

“Of course, Mrs. McKnight,” said Chris, still in his hospital bed; unlike Conner, he had not yet been discharged – not that he minded; it was more time away from his parents and Edward came every day after school, chattering on about his favourite subjects for hours on end.

Mrs. McKnight was as different to Conner as would be – she was a short, plump, pretty woman with flaxen hair and wide kind eyes that would mother the whole world if she could – and was one of the few people Chris didn’t mind embracing him, so when she pulled him into a hug that knocked the wind out of him, he wasn’t too annoyed, even as he flailed his arms to try and get her to let go of him. “Choking!” he gasped. “Not breathing! Choking!”

“Mom, you’re crushing him!” said Conner, a smirk crossing his face as he crossed his arms and watched Chris flail in her arms.

“He deserves being squished affectionately,” said Mrs McKnight, releasing Chris and turning to her son. “He’s friends with my Little Boo and that makes him a good person in my eyes.”

“‘Little Boo’?” snickered Chris, his eyes widening with mirthful glee. He began to laugh and then winced in pain, still snickering to himself as he clutched at his ribs. “Ow. Oh, that stings. Worth it. Little – _he he_ –” he broke down into peals of laughter as Conner’s handsome face flushed bright red and his mother pinched his cheeks.

“I brought Peppermint tea for my Little Boo and his friends!” exclaimed Mrs. McKnight, pulling out a large thermos from her bag. “Nice and cold, just as it needs to be.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out several cups, which she handed around the group – Ethan, Kira, Dr. Oliver and Conner.

“Moooom!” moaned Conner. “You’re embarrassing me.”

Mrs. McKnight handed a cup to Chris.

“Oh, uh, no thanks, Mrs. McKnight,” he apologised, shaking his head. “I’m deathly allergic to Peppermint. But thanks for the offer – you ever arrive with Chamomile Tea or Hot Chocolate and your ‘Little Boo’ will have to fight me for the thermos. Be warned, Conner. I _will_ bite if I have too.”

“Will you take some pie then?”

“Ooh, pie!” exclaimed Chris, taking the pie from her and sniffing at it. “Mmm, pumpkin.” He took the fork offered by Mrs. McKnight and dug in hungrily. “If I have to eat one more bowl of porridge, I’ll upend it over the nurse’s head,” he said between mouthfuls. “A boy can only take so much porridge!”

“A growing boy like you needs real food. Like my Little Boo.”

“Moooom!”

**~*~*~*~*~**

A few days later, Chris dropped the book he was reading and stared up at Conner. “I’m sorry – did you say Zeltrax had a _son_? How did a thing like that even breed?” he shuddered, the image dancing across his brain and searing behind his eyelids. “Oh, actually, I’m not sure I want to know.”

“I didn’t ask,” said Conner, wincing in grudging agreement. “I was too busy being beaten about. When are they letting you out?”

“Not sure,” said Chris, glancing at the calendar. “It'll be a weekend, so I hear. Back to the bosom of the hell-beast that spawned me and the... thing... that bedded her. I’ll be glad to have Edward around more though. And, to be honest, I’m sick to death of _War and Peace_. My god, Tolstoy can go on. If I have to read another page, I’ll launch a firework at anyone I can just to get somewhere with literature.”

Conner smirked. “Dr. Oliver’s looking forward to having you back. He’s been running Hayley ragged and she’s running Trent ragged in response.”

“How is he? I heard he was here for... well...”

“He’s alright,” said Conner. “Kira’s fond of him.”

“She fancies him.”

“She does not!”

“We don’t all fancy _you,_ you arrogant ass! Kira’s crushing on Trent, Ethan’s straight, and I - well - I have no idea what I am.”

“Was that –?”

“– One of the things I was angry about before?” Conner nodded. “No,” continued Chris. “No. I didn’t mind that – I watched people tear themselves apart over getting a date or whether their ex-girlfriend or boyfriend turned their friends against them. I never had that problem. I was free. Besides, you saw my memories – all of them – even ones I didn’t even know I remembered. You _know_ what made me angry.”

“Your parents.”

“If Ed wasn’t around, I would have walked out on them by now. I stayed for him. Heaven knows, with a mother and father like ours – a satanic hell beast and a fallen angel – he damn well needs it. How Granny ever spawned scum like my mother, I’ll never know – not to mention my Aunt Mabel. The Spawn of Satan, both of them. Fortunately, my cousin, Christobella, is a lovely girl –”

Conner snorted at the name.

“– No snorting,” said Chris, whacking him over the head with _War and Peace_. “We call her Bella. She married a French man, Andreas De Bois, last year. I... wasn’t there. Her daughter’s cute though... though I wouldn’t give a child a name like Avelina Violetta Patricia Argentenia De Bois for all the money in the world. I still have no idea what she was thinking when she called her _that._ I assumed it was the anaesthetic when Mom told me. Still – it was nice to not be the centre of attention for even a small amount of time.”

“I bet.”

“I think her daughter’s christening is next month. Or is it November? One of the two. I’ll ask Granny later and let Dr. Oliver know that I’ll be away so that you guys can prepare for my absence for a week. We’ve got to drive to Florida – and Edward will want to go to Disneyland, of course. And that means I’ll get stuck with all of his souvenirs. He has the attention span of a gnat when Disney is involved.”

“You could visit your friend – Kali, wasn’t it?”

“I could,” admitted Chris, nodding in agreement. “But I think Mom and Dad would burst a blood vessel if I ever introduced her to them: imagine a girl with dark hair and a tattoo with more scars – both mental and physical – than you could ever reasonably picture, riding a motorbike, and you have Kali. On second thought, maybe I _should_ introduce Mom and Dad to her.” He scribbled it down on a pad next to his bed, which Conner saw also had _Buy Milk_ and _Buy Edward a Christmas Present_ written on it in Chris’s small, looped handwriting. “People often thought she was a thug and, yeah, she could hold her own, but she was never a thug. Thugs steal from innocents. She was the Robin Hood of Florida on the one occasion we actually met - she quite liked me as I wasn't drooling over her like every other man in existence. I got a temporary tattoo with her – a large falcon, right down my back – Mom almost died when she saw it and I was grounded for six months with no technology.”

“Ouch,” winced Conner.

“It was fine,” said Chris. “I spent more time with Edward in those six months than I have in the last six months. Speaking of –”

Edward was pushing open the door to his hospital room. “There’s my little Squirt! How was school? You’re late out.”

“Computer Club,” said Edward. “I’m... working on something. For your birthday.”

“I see,” said Chris.

“Don’t let Ethan corrupt you,” warned Conner. “We already have one nerd in our group, we don’t need another.”

“He’s not really _in_ the group,” replied Chris. “He knows what we do, that’s all. It’s not like he’s sitting behind Hayley taking notes on how to run a Power Ranger team – I see that glint in your eyes, Ed. Not a chance in hell, understand. You know as well as I do that I’ll take a paddle to your ass if you even try it.”

“Fiiine,” moaned Edward. He frowned. “Wait? You haven’t told Conner and the others that you can recite Pi to fifty six places?” He trailed off at the sight of Chris, who was making a beheading motion with his hand. “Oh – uh – I...”

“You know Pi to fifty six places?”

“Yes,” admitted Chris. “And the square root of an onion – it’s a shallot, by the way – and that the word floccinaucinihilipilification is the action or habit of deeming something worthless; like Mesogog – he’s floccinaucinihilipilification. I was always good at that at school – retaining useless knowledge that will never come in handy in anything other than a Pop Quiz, not unless Mesogog sends a useless knowledge creature after us, anyway...”

**~*~*~*~*~**

In the end Chris was released from hospital two weeks after being knocked unconscious; to his relief, he was released on a Sunday.

“What did you tell your parents as an excuse for why you were coming down here and not spending time with them?”

“I told them that I had two weeks’ worth of homework to catch up on in one day,” said Chris, pushing a newly acquired pair of glasses up his nose with his middle finger as he squinted down at the page. “Mom didn’t query that.” He coughed and imitated his mother, holding up a finger: “‘ _If you’re getting ahead on your school work and not being a common thug or criminal scum, like you were before, then I will allow you to go_.’”

“That’s horrible!” exclaimed Kira.

“That’s Mom,” said Chris nonchalantly, waving Hayley over. “If it’s not too much trouble – can I have a hot chocolate? Maybe it’ll sooth the mind-numbing boredom of Calculus and get rid of my headache.” He adjusted his glasses again. “My eyesight has gotten worse since I was, quite literally, thrown into the brick door header; as if things weren’t bad enough – now I’m even blinder than I was before!”

“Good to have you back,” said Hayley, arriving with a smile on her face. “Sorry about before... One hot chocolate coming right up.”

“It’s fine – I should have remembered that those memories would come to the surface. It wasn’t your fault. I hate to say these words and, I promise, I’ll never say them again, but Conner was right. It shouldn’t have been me that powered things.”

“I’m always right,” said Conner, smugly, chewing on the end of a pencil, his brow bent into a frown as he stared down at the page and Hayley headed to the reception desk. “Except with Social Studies...”

“Let’s see?” said Chris. Conner flopped back into his chair, annoyed, and slid the paper across to Chris. He picked it up, sniffed, rubbed his eyes and then stared at the page as Hayley placed a hot chocolate in front of him: “‘ _If someone is sleepy during the day, is the biological need of sleep developing a drive to go take a nap? Since a drive is a state of elevated arousal, would going to sleep be considered a drive?_ ’”

“Who cares?” asked Conner.

“Well,” said Chris, lowering the page and allowing a smug smile to cross his face. “In psychology, drives refer to perceived needs that people have regarding behaviours available to take on. Drives can be likened to homeostasis within physiological systems. Therefore one can consider this biological need for sleep as a drive to go take a nap. Some authorities would distinguish the need as sleep versus the drive as feelings of fatigue, while others would consider both of these as the drive. A drive can be defined in various ways, which can include a state of elevated arousal, or more broadly as a motivation towards or away from some object like sleep. Therefore one can consider going to sleep as a drive, even though this would contrast with certain alternative definitions of drive.”

Conner stared at him, jaw slack. “How the hell did you get that answer?”

“I’m a nerd – and, you forget, I did your year before I went away,” said Chris, simply, sliding the paper back across the table. “It’s the same question I had. I _aced_ that test – hopefully _not_ just because Mrs. McClanahan liked me. She was a character witness at my trial – I baked her cookies while I was stuck at home for two weeks, waiting for the news of whether I would be sent to prison or juvie. I think I burned them all – she still sent me a thank you card.”

“Did they say whether your eyesight will improve?” asked Kira.

Chris sighed and set his jaw in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest; he stared, wistfully, into the cafe before them. Kira knew, then, that she’d asked a question she shouldn’t have done.

“They said...” Chris trailed off, trying to calm himself and remove the anger from his voice. “They said I have eighteen months, if I’m lucky, before I’ll be all but totally blind. At least when I’m in the Ranger Suit my eyesight improves massively.”

“We’ll find a way to fix it,” said Hayley, returning with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. “Tommy’s looking now and I’m searching too, whenever I have free time, or whenever you guys are out of the lab.”

“Thanks,” said Chris, taking the mug between his hands and letting the smoke warm his face. “Both for looking and for the hot chocolate. My father’s just annoyed that it’s another expense I’ve cost him and Edward is insistent that we do literally _everything_ in the world since I soon won’t be able too. He’s got a list that covers at least four pages of A4 paper. If I ever need a maker of lists or a secretary, I know who to ask.”

“Come on! Oh, no, you didn’t! Eat laser, you intergalactic freak?”

“Something interesting, Ethan?” asked Chris, glancing over at their friend, who was mashing away on a keyboard as if his life literally depended on it. “You’re not still on that video game are you? It’s been _weeks_. If you intend to get yourself – or, more importantly, _me_ – sucked into a video game, let me know and I’ll run as far away as I can right now.”

“Made it to level twelve!” Ethan cheered.

Conner groaned in annoyance and leaned across, switching the computer off.

“Hey! What are you doing!?”

“I can’t concentrate with you blowing up things in my ear.”

“But it took me three hours to get to that level!” cried Ethan, frustrated.

“You’d been there for three hours? How are you not numb? If I have to sit still for more than an hour, I fidget like a gnat...”

“Sorry, but I’m with Conner on this one,” agreed Kira. “We’ve got a paper due tomorrow. And why aren’t you working on yours?”

“Is it opposite day? We’re _both_ agreeing with Conner?”

“Finished it last week,” said Ethan. “Trent and I jammed on it while you guys were out being David Beckham and –”

“Oh, don’t even say it!” said Kira, bristling indignantly.

“Wasn’t going too,” muttered Ethan snidely, turning back to the computer.

“Where’s Trent, anyway?” asked Kira, glancing around the cafe. “I thought he was working today?”

“Hayley gave him the day off,” said Conner. “I think he’s spending some ‘quality time’ with his Dad.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

The next day, Dr. Oliver announced there would be a field trip.

“How the hell did you get me permission to come on this?” asked Chris as he rushed alongside Dr. Oliver. “I’m not a senior.”

“A loophole,” said Dr. Oliver. “The school specified that only people seventeen or over can go on the school trip – and you are eighteen.”

He turned into a classroom as the bell rang, Chris following him in.

“Alright,” said Dr. Oliver, turning to them. “There’s only so much you can learn in a classroom. Who’s ready for some field work?”

“Dr. Oliver,” said Cassidy in a sickly-sweet voice, stepping forward as Conner and the others reached Chris, Conner greeting him with a fist bump. “May we have permission to film today’s field trip for journalism class? It’s just that I think it’ll be good for my career if I start focusing on more exciting things like Nature and Science.”

“I see the Bimbette is on full charm mode again,” noted Chris, snidely.

“Don’t call her that,” said Kira. “She’s quite smart. And I thought you were trying to be good?”

“It’s either Bimbette or Cow or a word that rhymes with itch and witch but starts with a ‘B’,” said Chris, not meeting Kira’s face. “Would you prefer either of the latter two?”

“Uh, Cass, I thought you said this stuff was as dull as dirt?” asked Devin, leaning over Cassidy’s shoulder.

Cassidy’s face took on a look of terror and Chris smirked nastily at her discomfort. “Uh, actually, Devin,” she said, holding a hand up to silence him as her voice taking on that usual commanding tone it did when she spoke of or to him. “I think I was talking about our last conversation.”

“Relax, Cassidy,” said Dr. Oliver, chuckling to himself. “You can film the dig.”

“Come on,” said Conner. “Or we’ll be sat at the back of the bus with all the leftover chewing gum.”

“Eh, I spent fifteen months in juvie. Sounds like utter _heaven_.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

A few hours later, the Rangers were pulled out of their focused digging by Ethan excitedly crying: “Hey, you guys, over here!”

“What?” asked Chris, looking up and clunking his head on the board above him. “Oof – owwww. Son of a Cassidy that hurt!” He clambered out of the ditch he was digging in and trudged over to Ethan, rubbing the top of his head painfully.

“Check it out,” said Ethan, removing dirt from an egg. “I think I found something.”

“Great, what is it?” asked Conner, crouching down and leaning on the handle of the spade he’d been using.

“Now... that’s interesting...” noted Chris. A white egg with green spots was shining up at them from the dirt. That was definitely not normal. “Kira, fetch Dr. Oliver.”

Kira ran off.

“How the hell did this get here?” Chris wondered.

“No idea,” said Ethan. “But it _is_ here.”

Chris crouched down next to Ethan and began to dig in the dirt with him. “On three: one, two, three!” They heaved the egg out of the dirt, spraying the front of Conner’s shirt with mud.

“What have you got?”

Dr. Oliver and Kira had returned.

“Well, I think it might be a Dino Zord egg,” said Ethan, examining the egg that Chris held in his arms.

“Careful,” said Dr. Oliver, lifting it out of Chris’s arms and examining it closely.

“Oooh, a discovery – how exciting!”

Principal Randall, dressed like Professor Porter from Tarzan, had approached them.

“Uh, no,” said Dr. Oliver, quickly, holding it tightly and out of her reach. “We’re not sure what it is.”

“It looks like a Prehistoric Egg,” said Principal Randall. She held out a hand. “May I?” she said, flirtatiously.

Chris glanced over Dr. Oliver’s shoulder and made a gagging motion with his face at Conner, who nodded quickly in response.

“Well, uh...”

“Don’t worry,” assured Principal Randall. “I won’t drop it.”

Reluctantly, Dr. Oliver handed the egg over. Principal Randall adjusted her glasses and stared down at it, wonder in her eyes.

“I should really take that back to the school lab and examine it,” said Dr. Oliver.

“But of course,” agreed Principal Randall. “Here.”

She held out the egg to him and all hell broke loose. Tyrannodrones erupted from a hole in the ground, rushing at the group of digging students. They screamed and scattered.

“What the -? Already? I’ve been out of hospital for one day! One day –!”

“Come on!” said Conner, pulling Chris away despite his protestations.

They rushed into the fray, charging at the Tyrannodrones as Dr. Oliver fought two that were attacking him and Principal Randall.

Chris leaped onto one of the board standing between two sides of the ditch and closed his eyes; he opened them with a deep breath. He crouched and leapt into the air, twirling over the head of a Tyrannodrone and performing a series of kick-flips. He landed behind Conner, who was backing away from three Tyrannodrones.

“You know what?” asked Chris, smirking, fists raised. “I missed this – a good workout. Maybe Hayley will have pie after this – we deserve it.”

“Yeah,” said Conner, ducking a punch from a Tyrannodrone. “If we get out of this!”

“We will,” said Chris, locking his arms with Conner’s. “Get your feet ready!” he ordered.

With a grunt and a roar, he heaved Conner into the air – Conner could see smoke boiling off Chris and kicked out violently and rapidly as Chris span around, swinging him like a ball and chain.

One by one, foot to face, the Tyrannodrones fell.

“You alright?” asked Conner, turning anxiously to Chris, who was stood stock still, his eyes closed – he took a deep breath and the smoking stopped.

“Fine,” said Chris, face beat red, chest heaving as he panted. “I think I have a handle on this... I think.”

The twosome rushed over to help Ethan, knocking a Tyrannodrone into a mud-filled pit.

“Dr. Oliver! _CATCH_!”

The threesome and Kira, some distance away, stopped and stared – the egg flew through the air as Principal Randall performed a tennis serve with it, launching it across the bone field at him.

He caught it. The foursome rushed over as Dr. Oliver examined the egg and Principal Randall adjusted her clothes.

“Good throw,” praised Dr. Oliver. “You okay?”

“I think so,” sniffed Principal Randall, reaching him.

“We better get back to school,” said Dr. Oliver to the foursome as they reached him, all anxious, all panting. They nodded and went to head back to the bus.

“Would you mind explaining to me where you learned to fight like that?” exclaimed Principal Randall to the foursome.

“Uh... Karate Club,” replied Conner, lying through his teeth at the first excuse that came to his mind.

“Right,” agreed Ethan.

“Yeah,” said Kira.

They rushed away. Chris lingered behind.

“I spent fifteen months in juvie, Principal Randall,” said Chris, somewhat snidely. “It was fight or starve... or die if it was Taco Tuesday...” He smirked, pointing his thumbs at his chest as his voice took on a tone of pride: “Undefeated first in line for a year!”

He plodded away after his friends.

**~*~*~*~*~**

“This is weird,” said Dr. Oliver, swivelling away from the computer in his chair and removing his glasses as he turned to the others. “I’m still getting a heat signal from the dig site where we found the egg.”

“But the egg’s not even there anymore,” said Kira.

She was right – the foursome was stood around a table as Ethan scanned the egg with a device intended to register life-signs.

“Maybe there’s another one?” questioned Chris, flicking the edge of the egg with a finger. “Then we’d have two white and green eggs that do nothing. Jooooooy.”

“I better go check it out,” said Dr. Oliver. “You guys stay here and keep analysing this one.”

He left, leaving the foursome around the table. Ethan continued to scan.

“Have you tried looking for heat signatures, rather than life?” asked Chris.

“What would that do?” queried Conner.

“Well, the Dinozords are robotic,” began Chris, glancing over at Conner. “This means they’re powered by electricity. Now, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty sure electricity produces heat. If there was anything in there – or, anything _functional_ in there, at least – it would emit massive amounts of heat.”

“It’s worth a shot,” said Ethan, adjusting the dial on the device. He resumed scanning and, after a few minutes of silence, spoke again: “Guys, I really don’t think there’s a Dinozord in here...”

The computer beeped; all four heads shot up.

“Ah,” said Chris.

“Well – _there’s one!_ ”noted Conner; a large Dinozord, blue in colour and shaped like a Dimetrodon with a spinning blade on its back, was rampaging through the forest

“But, how?” asked Kira, frowning.

“Can’t we...”

“Open it?” finished Ethan for Conner.

“I agree,” said Chris. “Whatever’s in here – _if_ there’s something in here – it may be useful against... whatever the hell that thingamawhatsit on the screen is.”

“Whatsit?” queried Conner, staring at his friend. “Are you alright?”

“Would you prefer Whatchimafloppy or Oojimaflippy?” asked Chris, shrugging. “I can work with either if you like?”

Ethan adjusted the device attached to the egg, removing the large pipe that led to the computer. The egg cracked, the top bursting open. All four of them gasped - an image of the woman that had been with Zeltrax before emerged from inside, speaking as if it was a hologram recording.

“Now what you expected, Rangers?” it taunted; cackling manically it soared into the air and vanished in a flash of golden light.

“Okay, can I just say I am _so_ over the evil laugh thing?” muttered Kira in annoyance.

“Man, that’s messed up,” acknowledged Ethan, staring at the remains of the broken egg. “How did she do that?”

The computer beeped loudly, the alarm blaring. The Zord on the screen was attacking a restaurant.

“Better get the Zords!” ordered Conner. “It’s attacking Little Tokyo! Come on!” The foursome stepped back in line. “Ready?” he asked.

“Ready!”

“Let’s kick some ass. I’ve missed this.”

“ _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!_ ”

The foursome transformed into their Ranger appearances.

“We’d better move,” said Conner. “Even with the Raptor Cycles, we’ve got quite a trek.”

“No, no, let me!” said Chris. “Conner, Kira, take a hand. Ethan, I hope you’re not heavy: get on my back. I’ve got an idea.”

“What?”

“Just do it.”

Conner took his right hand, Kira took his left and Ethan clambered onto his back. He closed his eyes and focused on the image of the rampaging Zord on the screen. There was a flash of pink and he knew it had worked by the sound of grass squishing beneath his feet and his friends screaming; someone was vomiting.

“Alright, Conner?” he asked, turning to his friend and patting his back.

“That’s... horrible...” moaned Conner, wiping his mouth and raising his helmet again. “Look – there it is!”

An enormous foot came down in front of them as the Zord raged through the forest. Ethan activated the Tricerazord which met the Dimetrozord in combat, horns smashing against teeth. It was knocked aside as the Dimetrozord tipped itself forward and smashed its spinning blade into it.

The Tyrannozord was next – it too fell, after spinning its tail like a sword and smashing it into the spinning blade.

The Dimetrozord roared and began to dig, vanishing under the ground.

“That’s not good,” said Chris. “Be on your guard; it could be anywhe- _whoa!_ ”

The ground beneath them began to shake. An enormous barracuda like creature on two legs emerged from the tress, cackling manically.

“Dinozords, now!” ordered Conner.

The four Dinozords thundered towards it, all roaring and screeching. Conner, Ethan and Kira leapt; Chris closed his eyes and vanished in a flash of purple, opening his eyes to find himself inside the cockpit of the Spinozord.

“Let’s go!” cried Conner and the Zords transformed, the foursome emerging together in a cockpit. “Do it, Kira!”

“Pterarang!” she cried.

The Megazord hurled a giant, glistening, yellow Boomerang at the creature. It knocked it back and then launched a barrage of attacks at the Megazord, making it spark and creak.

“Dr. Oliver., _any ideas?!_ ” cried Chris. “We’re getting smashed. I can transport people with my powers... but a whole Megazord might be out of my limits.”

“ _I don’t think the Thunder Zords are powerful enough_ ,” said Dr. Oliver’s voice back to them. “ _You need something that can break through its armour_.”

“Like what?” cried Conner.

“ _Like a blade or a saw... Wait a minute... You gotta use the Dimetrozord!_ ”

“What?”

“ _The Dinozord you were just fighting!_ ”

“Dr O., if you haven’t noticed, he’s not exactly playing well with others.”

“ _Let me see if I can do something about that..._ ”

“Let me, Doc,” said Chris. The other three stared at him. “What?” he asked. “Until I met you guys _I_ didn’t play well with others. Who better to tame it?”

“Whatever you’re gonna do, do it fast!” exclaimed Ethan, pointing out of the cockpit window.

The Dimetrozord had returned; it charged at them, lunging through the Megazord and sending it toppling to the floor.

Chris shoved debris off himself and clambered to his feet in the smoking cockpit. He stepped forward as the Dimetrozord lunged at them and placed his hand on the window, letting his head fall forward, his forehead resting against the glass. He closed his eyes and thought with all his might.

_Come on, hear me, come on – ah! Contact! You don’t play well with others? Nor did I. It’s not all bad playing with others, you know? Sure, I have to buy four sundaes whenever we celebrate, but it’s nice too; they’re there when I’m sad and make me laugh. They’re looking after me._

“Chris, move!”

_They’re making me better... Let me make you better._

The creature outside stamped on the Megazord and the Dimetrodon roared; whatever was controlling it broke and it glistened, dazzling and majestic, in the sun.

“Oh, yes!” cried Chris, punching the air in joy. “Got him!”

“ _He’s all yours, guys!_ ” said Dr. Oliver as Chris directed the Dinozord to lunge at the creature. “ _And wait till you see what he can do!_ ”

“Who’s a good Dimey! Who’s a good fluffy wuffy Dimey?” tittered Chris affectionately at the Dimetrozord rushed in their direction

The drill arm of the Megazord vanished and the Dimetrozord leapt, replacing the drill with a massive sword.

“ _ONWARDS, DIMEY!_ ” ordered Chris.

The saw blade whirred and the Megazord lunged, smashing the creature’s two swords to bits as Chris cackled manically.

“ _NOW I’M REALLY MAD!_ ” roared the creature.

“Oh, you want some _more_?” asked Chris, letting a nasty smirk cross his face as his eyes darkened with devilish delight. “Alright then. Dimey – _smash him._ _DIMETRO-BLADE, FULL POWER!_ ”

The Megazord swung the blade with all its might; a blast of energy exploded from it, knocking the creature down in an explosion – defeated.

**~*~*~*~*~**

The next day, Chris sat in Science Class – Dr. Oliver had pulled some strings with the school board and convinced them Chris knew all his retake year’s classes; they had agreed and temporarily moved him up a year for lessons, conditional on him passing a test exam in a few weeks – when the television began to blare.

Cassidy’s morning reports, as always.

“Ugh, this cow again.”

“Chris!” hissed Kira.

“What? I thought you hated Bimbette?”

“ _This is Cassidy Cornell with a special report. I have discovered that we have a superhero working right here at Reefside High_.”

Chris sucked in a breath. This wasn’t going to be good. He saw the others stiffen, heard Conner gasp audibly, and saw Dr. Oliver, reading from a folder at the front of the classroom, stiffen in anxiety.

“ _Yes,_ ” continued Cassidy on the television. “ _Our very own Principal Randall fended off several Prehistoric Creatures in an act of selfless bravery.”_ All the Rangers sighed in relief as did Dr. Oliver at the front of the classroom as he met their eye and gave them a look that said _that was close._

_“I was on the scene to bring you the exclusive footage. Let’s roll tape.”_

A tape began to play, but it wasn’t the one she wanted – in it, she was tearing up a flower while Devin lay on the floor, crying over it.

“ _Uh, we seem to be having technical difficulties. Please stand by_.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

Once lunch had finished, Chris returned to the hallways with the others – he and Conner had spent lunch time thinking of a new Zord combination and couldn’t wait to tell Dr. Oliver their ideas.

“That’s the bell, Dr. Oliver,” snapped Principal Randall, halfway down the hallway stairs, as they rounded the corner towards the stairs leading to the Science Block. “Your next class isn’t going to teach itself, is it?”

“Uh... yeah. I mean, no.”

“Man, that woman is cold-blooded,” acknowledged Ethan as Principal Randall marched away from Dr. Oliver.

“Yeah, but, remember, Dr. O.’s got a thing for dinosaurs,” said Conner, teasingly as the foursome reached him and began to walk down the stairs with him.

“Don’t even start with me, Conner.”

“Dr. Oliver and Randall, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” teased Chris.

“I think it’s a perfect match!” agreed Kira, sharing a smirk with Chris.

“Aren’t you guys late for your next classes?” asked Dr. Oliver, indignantly.

“Yeah, we were kind of hoping you could write us a note or something...” admitted Conner.

“Dream on,” said Dr. Oliver, pushing open the double doors to the Science Block.

“How mean, Dr. Oliver,” said Chris teasingly.

“You can call me Dr. O., Chris,” assured Dr. Oliver. “Everyone else here does.”

“Sorry,” said Chris, flushing, voice dropping in disappointment at another mistake. “Most adults get a bit...”

“Strict about titles?”

“I was going to say ‘prissy over student being casual with them’,” admitted Chris. “But yeah, that works too. I’ll try and break the habit, Dr. Oliver – I mean, Dr. O.”

“Good lad,” said Dr. Oliver. “We’ll make a hero out of you yet...”


	10. Ocean Alert

* * *

**Chapter X: Ocean Alert**

* * *

“One chocolate sundae, a box of donuts, a banana split, and a hot-chocolate,” said Chris, sliding the food stuffs across the table at Conner, Kira and Ethan respectively and then lowering himself onto a stool next to Conner.

“Check it out,” said Ethan, typing away rapidly on his laptop. “It says here that brain waves are just electrical impulses that, if converted into a binary language, can be downloaded.”

“Yeah, I read about that,” said Trent behind the bar. “It means our eyes could become the video cameras of the future.”

Ethan’s eyes widened in shock and delight at the knowledge that Trent, too, was a nerd.

“Oh, god, there’s two of them,” moaned Chris, face-palming. “When did you become a nerd, Trent? And should I be offended that you didn’t tell me?”

“Game Geek TV – I wonder if it’ll become part of basic cable?” teased Conner and Ethan’s expression darkened in annoyance.

“Sorry, I didn’t tell you,” said Trent, sarcastically to Chris. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“I don’t suppose you’ve got any pie, have you?” asked Chris, smirking and raising an eyebrow. “Pumpkin. No pulp.”

The doors behind them swung open and Kira yelped; a dazzlingly beautiful woman in a slinky red dress with enormous breasts, a tiny waist and flowing, luscious black hair had entered the cafe.

“ _NIKKI VALENTINA!_ ” bellowed Cassidy, who was sat at a table nearby with Devin.

“Hey, isn’t that the girl from ‘ _Ocean Alert_ ’?” Kira asked, shaking Ethan’s shoulder.

Both he and Conner gaped; Trent dropped the dishcloth in his hand. Several youths around the room took deep breaths, puffed up their chests, and sucked in thickened midsections as hard as they could.

“The most popular TV show of all time?” breathed Ethan, almost falling off his chair. “Does anyone have a brown paper bag? I’m hyperventilating.”

“Down, boys!” said Chris, swatting them both over the back of their heads. “You’re boys, not dogs, and she’s way out of your league.”

As if out of nowhere – perhaps _actually_ out of nowhere as Chris hadn’t seen her on their arrival – Hayley was there, clad in a dark-beige overcoat on top of her normal clothes. “Welcome to Hayley’s cyberspace,” she said, clapping her hands together in what appeared to be unbridled glee. “What can I get you?

“I’m just dying for a wheat-grass shake with a twist of lemon,” said Nikki Valentina haughtily.

“Oh, sorry, we just ran out of wheat-grass,” said Hayley and Chris smirked; Hayley’s displeasure of the woman was clear as the nose on her face. “How about a banana berry smoothie?”

“Did I ask for a smoothie?” said Nikki Valentina, sneering down her nose at Hayley like she was something disgusting that she’d just discovered on her toilet seat. “I’m fairly certain I asked for a wheat-grass shake.”

“And, as I said, we—”

“Alright, I’ll give you one hundred dollars for it.”

“I’m sorry,” said Hayley, laughing slightly mockingly. “But you can’t buy what I don’t have.”

“Listen, I don’t know if you noticed this, but I’m Nikki Valentina. There’s _nothing_ I can’t buy.”

“Anyone seen my fork?” asked Chris, loudly and mockingly, peering around the room. “I appear to have... misplaced mine.”

Hayley scoffed, disgusted.

“Never mind, I’m over this place,” said Nikki Valentina, turning to the two ladies behind her; they simpered sycophantically, so must have been working for her. “Oh!”

“This should be good,” said Chris, unable to keep the snide out of his voice at the thought of Cassidy being utterly destroyed and ruined by Nikki Valentina.

Cassidy had bounded to her feet, microphone in hand, and was stood between Nikki Valentina and her two simpering sycophants. “Miss Valentina – Cassidy Cornell, Reefside News. I’m a huge fan.”

“Of course you are,” said Nikki; Chris couldn’t decide if the tone of her voice was approval or disgust.

“Someday I’m going to be a big star too,” simpered Cassidy. “Except I’m going to be a news anchor, but, like, maybe we could work together? I know – I could be in ‘ _Ocean Alert_ ’!”

“Honey, you better get yourself a new dream,” said Nikki mockingly, scoffing at the thought; Cassidy’s face fell. “Because being me – well, that’s mine, and I’m not sharing. Let’s go.”

“Yes, Nikki,” her sycophantically sycophantic sycophant sycophanted sycophantically, smirking supremely smarmily.

She marched away through the double fire-engine-red doors. One of her sycophantic servants handed a signed picture to a fuming and utterly gobsmacked Cassidy. Several of the youths coughed for breath, red faces regaining their normal colour.

The sound of a toilet flushing echoed and the door to the bathroom opened. Chris raised his eyebrows as he glanced at the youth. “Perfect timing!”

“I could be you!” bristled Cassidy, staring angrily at the door as they swung shut behind Nikki and her sycophantic sycophants. “I could totally be you, and I’m gonna prove it!”

“I have to meet her, or my life will never be complete,” said Ethan, drooling into his lap.

“I’ll introduce you at our wedding,” groaned Conner, clapping a hand on Ethan’s back, a goofy, love-sick smile crossing his face.

“Oh, brother,” moaned Kira, rolling her eyes at Chris, who picked up a newspaper on the bar and struck them both over the head.

“My shift is officially over,” said Trent, rounding the bar. “Ready to go?”

“Where are you two going?” asked Ethan, frowning and sharing a glance with Conner.

“Trent’s gonna show me some sketches he’s done for the cover of my demo,” said Kira, beaming with pride.

“Leave the door open and don’t make the beast,” said Chris, leaning over to her and giving Trent a very stern look.

She smacked his arm, gaping at the thought; Trent flushed as red as a tomato. “I – we – It’s not –”

“I’m kidding,” said Chris, patting Trent on the shoulder. “Really. Have fun you two crazy lovebirds. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

“You went to prison!”

“Juvie – I went to juvie,” said Chris, placing a hand over his chest in mock offence at Trent getting it wrong. “If I had gone to prison I’d shank you here and now for taking Kira on a date.”

Trent chuckled and led Kira away. She was gone for all of a minute, before Trent, grudgingly, had to leave her after receiving a phone call.

_“Guys, we have some Tyrannodrones downtown, and we have a little problem at the beach.”_

“A two-for-one special?” asked Chris as Hayley dismissed them with a quick, barely noticeable nod. “Mesogog is spoiling us today, eh, guys?”

They rushed off towards downtown.

“Come on, guys!” exclaimed Conner as they raced around the corner; then, they saw the scene before them – people were scattering as Tyrannodrones charged at them, lunging and snapping and fighting.

“Whoa, this is just like some bad low-budget movie,” noted Ethan.

“Only this is for real, Ethan!” said Kira in disbelief at her friend’s obliviousness.

“Oh, yeah, right,” agreed Ethan, finally realising the severity of their situation.

The foursome leapt into the fray, punching and kicking. Ethan threw a Tyrannodrone aside, dodged a second, ducked a third and was kicked in the stomach by a forth.

“Easy! As! Pie!” Chris was having better luck. He threw one Tyrannodrone into two more, sending them toppling like nine-pins, crashing together in a huge heap. With a roar they clambered to their feet and charged at him again. “Oh, this won’t be good.”

He lowered himself into a rugby stance and charged at them in return, taking the hit head on. They were buffeted backwards and so was he – he crashed into the railings behind him; they toppled down a flight of stairs. “Perfect!”

He seized his chance and broke into a run, went down into a cartwheel at the top of the stairs and crashed into the pile of Tyrannodrones, sending them flying across the plaza. Once again they scrambled to their feet and charged; he blew them a kiss, vanished in a flash of pink, and then appeared behind them. He kicked one in the back and the group of Tyrannodrones were, finally, defeated.

Climbing to the top of the pile, Chris punched his fists into the air as he celebrated, and shook his backside at the defeated Tyrannodrones beneath him.

“Victory! I rule! You suck! Uh huh! Oh yeah! Go me! I win! Woo-hoo!”

“A little help?”

Chris almost fell off the Tyrannodrone pile as he turned; Conner was surrounded on all sides. “Coming!” he cried, and vanished in a flash of pink, appearing next to his friend.

“You take one half, I’ve got the other.”

The fight began anew, the twosome ducking and dodging as they circled around, kicking and punching whenever they could get the chance.

As if on cue, the Tyrannodrones charged, knocking the twosome into one another. Heaving each other to their feet, they stumbled backwards as Ethan and Kira rushed over to join them.

“Who released the hounds?” asked Ethan, panting.

“I know who’s putting them back where they belong,” said Conner, spoiling for a fight, bouncing between each foot with pent up energy. “Ready?”

“ _READY! DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!_ ”

The foursome transformed and Chris felt powerful; the Spino Smashers glistened an iridescent pink as he twirled them in his hands. “Let’s kick some prehistoric ass!”

Roaring loudly, he charged into the fray, dragging his Spino Smashers across the paving slabs and making them spark, his friends just behind him.

They met in the fray, all feeling powerful. Chris swung the Spino Smashers over his head and brought them crashing down; the Tyrannodrone underneath them crumpled like Papier-mâché and he smiled to himself inside his helmet. “God, I’ve missed this.”

He raised the Spino Smashers again and gasped; they were glowing golden in his hands. “What the –?”

They began to spin in front of him, merging together into four pronged staff with a circular hand grip in the middle. He slowly reached out a hand and grasped the hand grip; power coursed through him and he moved, striking as if swinging a cricket bat, bashing and buffeting Tyrannodrones in all directions, advancing like a bulldozer.

 _This time, I’m in control_ , he thought as he felt himself begin to smoke and rise into the air, whirling the Square Spinner around his head like a shuriken. With a roar and a burst of energy, he hurled it at the advancing Tyrannodrones and heard his friends’ cry out:

“No way!”

“Go, Chris!”

“Yeah!”

He felt the rush of the wind as the Square Spinner whirled around him, fuelled by rage and anger, and soared towards the Tyrannodrones, smashing them into pieces in enormous explosions. The smoke faded and Chris hovered above the floor, landing gently as the Square Spinner transformed back into the Spino Smashers.

“Thanks,” he breathed to them as they vanished and he sank to one knee, panting heavily, utterly spent; he heard his friends rush over.

“Chris, are you alright?”

“I think so,” he said as Conner heaved him to his feet. “I – _Ohh._ ” He stumbled and sank back to one knee, his friends crying out. “I’m fine. Just need to catch my breath.”

“What was all that?” gasped Ethan. “I’m pretty sure you were _flying_ at one point.”

“I have no idea,” admitted Chris, using Conner to push himself to his feet. “But remind me to tell Dr. O. about it and have him and Hayley run some tests. If Dr. O. doesn’t know, Hayley will – she _is_ a nerd, after all.”

“We’d better get to the beach,” said Conner. “Whatever that thing is Dr. O. alerted us too, it can’t be good. Are we running, or can you get us there?”

“I can try,” said Chris, turning to Kira. “Climb on.”

Kira clambered onto his back and Chris and Ethan took a hand each. Chris closed his eyes and gave it his all. There was a flash of pink and then he was falling. He smashed down onto the sand, spread-eagle and groaning in pain.

“I think I missed...”

“You didn’t,” said Ethan, struggling to his feet and pointing to where hoards of Tyrannodrones were torturing some beach-goers.

“I’ll get those for you,” said Chris, clambering to his feet and rushing over, whirling his Spino Smashers at the Tyrannodrones, who recoiled with a roar as they were buffeted backwards. “Pick on someone who can fight back, you ugly little –”

“ _Language!_ ” scolded Dr. Oliver, who was stood in front of them on the beach, clad in his Black Power Ranger outfit.

“Dr. O., you ok?” asked Conner. Then, he spotted Nikki emerging from a building nearby, examining her nails. “Check it out, baby,” he bragged cockily and swaggeringly, spreading his arms wide. “It’s all about the red.”

“Unless you prefer a kinder, gentler Power Ranger!” interrupted Ethan, stepping in front of Conner.

“What!?” challenged Conner, jostling with Ethan.

“I’m not finished with you yet!” said a flowery-shark creature from the balcony of the surf-shack above them.

“ _WATCH OUT!_ ” shouted Dr. Oliver, frantically.

Conner and Ethan whirled around. The creature fired at the foursome. Kira rushed forward to help.

“Kira, no!” Chris caught her around the waist, dragging her away just in time as Conner and Ethan were thrown high into the air and smashed down onto the sand with a crunch. Chris and Kira winced. “Ooh, that’s _got to hurt_.”

“Oh, man,” sighed Dr. Oliver.

The flower-shark creature seized its chance; it leapt from the balcony and landed behind Nikki. “Come with me, human!” it cried, grasping her by the arms and vanishing through a green Invisi-Portal.

“You guys ok?” asked Dr. Oliver, rushing over to the group.

Ethan was panting heavily and Conner was trying to steady his heartbeat.

“From now on, check your hormones at the door before you morph,” scolded Kira. She frowned inside her helmet and turned to Chris. “Hang on, why aren’t _you_ fighting for Nikki?”

“I’m - I think they call it aromantic?” queried Chris, as if it was obvious. “I don’t feel romantic attractions. Do you have any idea how fun it was watching fellow classmates try and fail to score a date and never having to worry about it because you’re not interested in people at all? No?” he added as they shrugged and shook their heads. “It’s _brilliant_ fun. I’ll admit it’s slightly nasty, but I really don’t care to change _that_ part of me. I need some enjoyment other than imagining that I’m smashing Cassidy’s face into the hearth of a fireplace until she bleeds out or burns alive...”

“Let’s get back to the lab,” said Dr. Oliver.

“Oh! Oh! Let me! I want to see how far I can take us!” Chris pulled the other four into a hug and they vanished in a flash of pink.

They landed in the lab and de-morphed; Hayley was waiting for them. “How was – _NYEURGH?!_ ”

Neither Chris nor Kira could stop themselves from jumping backwards in shock and disgust, almost knocking Hayley off her chair, at the pock-marked, rash covered sight of Conner and Ethan’s faces.

“Sorry,” apologised Chris to Hayley, who shook it off.

Conner and Ethan frowned and looked at each other... and then promptly screamed, rushing over the nearby wall mirror.

“This is not good,” said Ethan, examining a spot on his face.

“You guys were lucky you were morphed,” said Dr. Oliver, passing them and slapping both on the shoulder. “It could have been a lot worse!”

“Chris, my face owes you one,” said Kira, smugly and somewhat relieved.

“It was nothing,” said Chris, leaning casually against the recently repaired computer table where Hayley was sitting. “Those two were thinking with their downstairs rather than their upstairs. You weren’t – thus, you needed to be kept safe. Critical thinking perhaps, but true.”

“I can’t believe this!” moaned Conner. “ _How_ _am I supposed to save Nikki now!? Look at my face!_ ”

“Mine looks like it should be delivered in thirty minutes or less,” moaned Ethan, prodding at one of the spots, which promptly burst.

“You know – most of us could look past the rash and see the person on the inside,” noted Kira.

“Okay, Nikki Valentina is not like most of us,” snapped Conner.

“I hate to agree with him,” added Chris. “But he’s right – I mean, sure, she might be pretty, but what a –”

“ _Language!_ ” warned Hayley from the computer desk, smacking his arms and giving him a stern glare.

“Two arms, two legs – all seems the same to me,” said Kira, smarmily.

“What arms and legs,” drooled Ethan. “Not to mention the rest of her...”

Kira rolled her eyes.

“Seems like Mesogog shares your infatuation,” said Dr. Oliver, striding past them as Hayley huffed in annoyance at the flashing red _ERROR_ on the screen.

“He’s thrown up a firewall around the Invisi-Portals,” she said, swivelling in the chair to face him as he reached her side. “Not even the Raptor Cycles could get in.”

“I have just one request next time, Dr. O.,” said Chris. “Never mention the words ‘Mesogog’ and ‘Infatuation’ again. That image will be seared into my brain! A dinosaur thing... and her.” He shuddered. “Oh, I might be sick...”

“Save the vomiting,” said Hayley, quickly. “I don’t know _how_ but she just made it out. She’s back on the beach.”

“Yeah, go Nikki!” praised Ethan. “I told you she was smart.”

“Yeah, as a bag of hammers,” added Kira snidely as she and Chris leaned down on either side of Dr. Oliver to watch what he was doing on the computer. The flowery-shark creature promptly appeared out of the same Invisi-Portal and Nikki ran.

“Should’ve seen that one coming!” said Dr. Oliver, sighing. He leapt to his feet. “Hayley, keep tracking that egg!”

“I will,” she assured him. “Good luck. And, Chris, I’ll run some tests on your flying while you’re gone, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all – go wild. Just... don’t throw me into a door again, okay? That hurt. _A lot. DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!”_

The five Rangers all transformed and Chris teleported them to the beach, landing them, once again, in a pile of sand.

“You again?!” cried the flowery-shark creature, whirling around to face them, Nikki trapped behind it.

“Us again,” said Chris, mockingly, wiggling his finger as if waving. “Cooeeee! Sorry to disappoint you!”

“You’re safe now!” Conner declared to Nikki.

There was a flash of green – and there he – it? – was: Zeltrax.

“Not for long!” boomed Zeltrax, rushing at them, sword drawn.

“This is _so_ not in my contract!” moaned Nikki, throwing off the shark-creature’s arm.

“Huh?! Come back!” it gasped, running after her, only to be intercepted by the Rangers.

“You take Sharky – I’ve got Zeltrax!” declared Chris. Their weapons met in contact, Spino Smashers and sword creating a ringing motion. “Looky-looky, I got the ugly!” taunted Chris, scrambling backwards to dodge Zeltrax’s attack.

Zeltrax roared and raised his sword, sending a ball of lightning in Chris’s direction. He crouched and spread his arms wide. “ _Hey batter_ , _batter_ , _batter, batter, batter!_ Swing, batter!"

He swung the Spino Smashers on cue, sending the ball of lightning soaring into the air where it exploded in a golden eruption. “Gonna have to do better than that, ugly!” he taunted, capering around. “Come on, give me a challenge!”

Zeltrax roared and charged and the twosome met in combat.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Back in the lab, Hayley was watching intently. The vital checks she had on Chris were going wild – the more into the fight he became the more they fluctuated – up and down – faster and slow – utterly wild as he danced and capered around Zeltrax.

She frowned and typed rapidly on the keyboard at another fluctuation as Chris blasted a second ball of lightning away, this time right at Zeltrax.

Then it hit her. It was tied to his emotions – the more wild he got, the more wild his powers became; the angrier he got, the angrier they became. Emotion powers? In all her years of knowing Tommy and researching Power Rangers that was one she’d never seen before and, if she was honest, it intrigued her, gave her all those little fuzzy tingles that she got when the nerd part of her was unleashed to the forefront with nothing restraining it.

She cracked her knuckles and began to type again. She leaned forward into the speaker.

**~*~*~*~*~**

“ _Chris, get angry!_ ” said Hayley’s voice through his Morpher. “ _I think I know how your powers wor_ k!”

“Angry?” he questioned. “Can do. Hang on – let’s hope I don’t overload the systems again.”

He closed his eyes, blocking an attack from Zeltrax and thought back to the day – that day – the day he hated above all others. Power coursed through him, utter rage fuelling him, and his eyes flew open.

“Whoa!” gasped Conner, dodging an attack from the flowery-shark creature.

Chris’s eyes were pure-white, shining through the black visor of his helmet, and he rose into the air, smoking and glowing brilliantly. The Spino Smashers merged – the giant shuriken was back. Chris roared and hurled it over his head, fury radiating from every breath.

“ _TAKE THIS!_ ”

The shuriken whirled through the air, spiralling towards Zeltrax. It met the sword with a sickening clank and Zeltrax was thrown backwards, his sword smoking with pieces ripped out of it. Wind began to pick up behind Chris and Conner and the others were sufficiently distracted enough for the flowery-shark to catch them in an attack.

Chris threw his hands down to his sides, as if making a triangle, palms aimed at Zeltrax. Sand began to whirl around him, forming an enormous tornado.

“ _Be gone!_ ” breathed Chris and the hatred and nastiness in his voice made Conner, struggling to his feet from the flowery-shark’s attack, shudder in fear.

The sand tornado hit Zeltrax and he was down.

“Let’s see how you look after a little Flower Power!” taunted the creature, raising a large sunflower as Zeltrax fled.

In the distance, Devin caught Nikki just as the beach around her exploded; while she flirted with him, the remaining Power Rangers were blasted backwards by another shot from the flowery-shark creature.

“Chris, a little help!?”

Chris’s head tilted, eyes still glistening white, and he dove, landing next to them. Whatever was inside him, fuelling him, he didn’t control it; or, if he did, it was pushing a violent side of him. He met the flowery-shark creature in combat, fins smashing against un-merged Spino Smashers again and again, Chris advancing like a bulldozer.

“It’s time you learned a lesson!” exclaimed Conner, joining Chris in advancing on the creature.

“Yeah!” agreed Ethan. “Like don’t blast people with a ray that turns their face into Pepperoni Pizza.”

“Good one, Ethan!” said Kira, mockingly.

“Really?”

“ _No!_ ”

“Alright,” said Conner, a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “Let’s give this freak a blast!”

They formed the Z-Rex Blaster, a Spino Smasher in its mouth, and launched a blast. The flowery-shark creature exploded, fleshy remains splattering the beach.

Chris swayed for a moment. The smoking stopped, his eyes returned to their normal brown colour... and then promptly rolled back in his head. Utterly spent, drained to the last drop of energy, he flopped backwards into the sand, landing in a cloud of displaced sand.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Chris awoke a few hours later, head pounding, and sat painfully up. A cold compress on his forehead flopped into his lap.

“Ah, you’re awake,” said Hayley, noticing his reflection in her monitor. “I’ve worked out how your powers work, I think.”

“You have?” said Conner, smiling in relief at the sight of Chris now sitting up. _His face is back to normal_ , Chris noticed, _he looks handsome again. They must have won. Handsome? Where did that come from?_

“I have,” said Hayley, swivelling in the chair to face them. “Your powers, Chris, are based on emotions. When you’re happy, they get more powerful and controllable. When you get angry, they get more powerful and wild and uncontrollable. If we teach you to control that anger, you could be incredibly useful in the fight against Mesogog.”

“Nice!” breathed Ethan.

“But...”

“I think I know what’s coming next,” said Chris. “To control my anger, I have to forgive the source of it, right?”

“Right,” agreed Hayley.

“Oh, great,” replied Chris, sighing. “That means I have to forgive the Bimbette. Oh, joy. Any ideas where she is?”

“She’s at the beach,” said Hayley, altering the image on her computer screen to show Devon and Nikki filming a scene at the beach while Cassidy stood nearby, glowering daggers.

“Ahh, that fills me with glee. The cow suffering,” said Chris, smiling gleefully. “Come on then, guys – a day out at the beach. My treat.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

Ten minutes later, Chris licked at an ice-cream cone as he watched Conner and Ethan jostling with one another to be the first to ask Nikki out.

“There she is!” breathed Ethan.

He and Conner had changed clothes; Conner was wearing a red vest - which emphasised his muscular arms - and jogging trousers, while Ethan wore a blue shirt under a blue and white checked flannel shirt and a pair of dark blue shorts.

“Let me do the talking,” said Conner.

“Oh, yeah, right!” protested Ethan, vehemently.

“If I have to talk to any more annoying love-struck fans, I’m gonna barf in my coffee cup!” said Nikki, loudly. She hadn’t noticed they were there, but was just being her usual, horrible, stuck-up self.

Ethan and Conner backed away, the latter crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

“So, you guys put the moves on Nikki?” asked Kira, arriving with three ice-creams, one for each of them.

“No,” said Ethan as he and Conner were forced back to the table by their continually advancing friend. “Turns out...”

“...She is _whack!_ ” finished Conner.

“Well, guys, I’d say you’ve learned a valuable lesson,” noted Kira, smirking somewhat pleased.

“What, sticking to Cheerleaders?” retorted Conner, sarcastically.

“He’s kidding!”

“We know,” said Conner, attempting to placate Kira. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. Even a prime one like Nikki’s.”

“You two struck out, I see?” snickered Chris as Kira pushed them both back onto the bench of the table he was sitting at.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.”

“Nah – I’ll just leave you alone in the pool for a bit on Wednesday when we have your next swimming lesson, Conner.”

Conner’s face paled. “You – you wouldn’t dare,” he gulped, terror dancing across his voice.

“Wouldn’t I?” taunted Chris, smirking at the look of utter terror on his friend’s face. “Excuse me – I think I see Cassidy.” He got up.

“Good luck,” said Kira.

“ _He wouldn’t leave me in the pool, right? Would he? Right, guys? Hey, you won’t – he won’t – guys!?_ ”

Chris couldn’t help but smirk as Conner’s frantic, panicked words caught his ear.

“I don’t like her – not one bit!” growled Cassidy as he approached.

“You too, eh?” he asked, stopping beside her and licking his ice-cream. “Devin seems to like her, I see...”

“What are you doing here?” she asked angrily, glancing around at him.

“I’m a free man,” he said, shrugging and biting into his ice-cream. “I can be at the beach if I want! Anyway, I came to forgive you. You know, for the recording and everything. I paid my time, thanks to you. Time to begin anew now and –”

“I’m sorry, you’re distracting the actors,” said an official looking member of the film crew, interrupting before Cassidy could reply. “You’re gonna have to leave.”

“Sure,” said Chris calmly, watching Cassidy bristle in offence. “I’ve done what I came to do.”

The others were approaching him, all having finished their ice-creams. He took the last bite of his own and threw the wrapper in the bin nearby.

“You can’t do that to me,” said Cassidy, snidely, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I’m with the press, and I have a pass. Hello?” the man began to drag her away, making Chris roar with laughter as she passed. “I – no – they know me – guys, tell him you know me!”

“Never seen her before!” called Chris as the others reached him and they headed down the beach. “ _I think she’s in disguise and that’s a wig, my good man!_ ”

“Chris!” protested Kira, slapping his arm.

“What? Hayley said I had to forgive her. I’ve done that,” retorted Chris, smirking at her and sticking out his tongue. “She never said I had to be nice to Cassidy _after_ forgiving her. I mean, you two are friends and you fight a lot,” he added to Conner and Ethan.

“Speaking of physical things,” began Conner, gripping Chris’s shoulder. “You’re not leaving me alone in a pool!”

“Aren’t I?” taunted Chris. He reached down, grabbed a handful of sand, and threw it at Conner’s vest, splattering the front. “You utter coward!” he taunted, rushing away, laughing.

His friends rushed after him.


	11. White Thunder: Part I

* * *

**Chapter XI: White Thunder: Part I**

* * *

A horn blared, followed by the revving of an engine. Catherine Haynes moved the lacing over the window and stared out at the car, a large red Mustang, sat on the curb at the end of the drive.

“I’m going out! I’ll be home soon!” Chris’s voice rang out from the hallway before the front door slammed shut.

He rushed down the drive, throwing on his jacket, and the door of the Mustang swung open. She could just see the brunette haired head of Conner McKnight and the dark skin of Ethan James behind her son’s form. A dirty blonde haired head leaned out from the car.

Someone said something funny – Chris laughed – and the foursome were laughing as the wheels of the Mustang screeched and it roared away down the lane.

“He’s rushing off at all hours,” said Catherine to her mother. “I don’t approve of those friends of his – they’re doing heaven knows what. A school project, my ass...”

“You never do,” muttered Edward from the sofa where he was lounged and laying flat on his stomach, the eraser of his pencil clutched between his lips as his eyes scanned the pages of _War and Peace._

“If the boy was in trouble, we’d know about it,” said her mother.

Edwina Jones was a woman much more rational than either of her daughters: Mabel had raged at her for a whole week after her uncomfortable visit and Catherine was currently glaring daggers through the window.

“We didn’t before,” said Catherine, crossing her arms and glancing back from the window at her mother. “And look where that ended up.”

“It ended with you leaving him in a jail cell for three days, a shouting match between Chris and Dad that woke the whole street, and Chris being separated from us for fifteen months in a Juvenile Correction Facility,” said Edward, somewhat snidely. “Don’t worry, Mom. Chris is hardly likely to go _back_ to juvie. Not after the shouting match he had with Aunt Mabel.”

“Mabel mentioned it,” said his grandmother.

“I bet she did,” drawled Edward. He turned a page in _War and Peace_. “She was totally responsible for that argument, by the way. I enjoyed that desert, even if I was eating under a bed-quilt in the dark while crying.”

“At least his time away hasn’t made him hate you, Eddie,” noted his grandmother.

“Thankfully,” said Edward. “I know he hates Mom and Dad.”

“He doesn’t hate them –”

“– There’s a dartboard in his bedroom with their faces on. Trust me: he _hates_ them.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

“It’s seven am, Dr. O,” snarled Chris, yawning as he and the others approached Dr. Oliver, who was stood in the middle of the Petrified Forest on a large mound. “If this isn’t important, I will kill you for waking me up on a Saturday morning for _nothing.”_

 _“_ We came as soon as we could, Dr. O.,” Ethan assured him, shooting Chris a look. “We would have been here sooner, but someone had trouble getting up.”

“It’s Saturday!" protested Chris. "I shouldn’t be getting out of bed until midday at least!”

“What’d you find?” asked Conner, ignoring Chris’s protestations.

“Some sort of storage unit,” said Dr. Oliver, lowering the device he was holding. “The energy readings are so intense, this meter can’t register them.”

“Wait, wait...” Chris couldn’t help the smile creeping across his face and he didn’t feel tired at all anymore as he began to bounce on the heels of his feet. “Something _Hayley_ made failed? Can I tell her? Please, oh please, let me tell her. I want to see her face. _Pleeeeeeaaassssseeeee_?”

“Yes, you can tell her,” said Dr. Oliver.

“What kind of Energy?” asked Conner, anxiously.

“The same kind that’s in your Morphers,” said Dr. Oliver, turning anxiously to the foursome.

“You’re saying there’s a Dino Gem in here?” asked Kira, her jaw dropping.

“Not anymore,” corrected Dr. Oliver. “But there _was_.”

“I thought you had all kinds of things that would pick up if there was a Gem in here.”

“Someone must have hidden it,” replied Dr. Oliver, annoyed. “When the cloaking device deactivated, the readings went off the scale.”

“So, is this good news or bad news?” asked Conner.

“That depends, surely?” asked Chris, interrupting the about to speak Dr. Oliver. “Who found it?”

“I think the bigger question is _how_ did they find it?” asked Kira.

“Well, maybe not,” said Chris, starting a tête-à-tête with her. “I mean – look at the local radio station in town. It detects energy readings – kinetic ones – to predict the weather. Anyone who works there could have access to the devices used to detect energy. That wouldn’t be too bad. After all, knowing the weather in advance could help in our fight against Mesogog. We could use it to plan our attacks – work with the wind, instead of against it, for example.”

Kira tilted her head in understanding, making a strange squeaking noise.

“But if Zeltrax has it – or Mesogog,” suggested Conner.

“Then we’re up Shit Creak without a paddle – sorry, Dr. O,” added Chris, seeing their mentor’s mouth open to correct his language. “I’ll let Hayley know we’re coming into the lab. And I’ll have to let my parents know I won’t, in fact, be home soon. Oh, joy...”

“Good,” said Dr. Oliver. “Conner, Ethan, Kira. You can help me with that while Chris calls ahead.”

“Hayley,” said Chris, raising his bracelet to his mouth. “I have bad news and possibly good news, but we’re not entirely sure...”

“ _Go ahead._ ”

“Well, the bad news is your energy device thingy failed miserably – Dr. O.’s words, not mine... Uh... Hayley?” Chris frowned as the line went deathly quiet. “Hayley?”

“ _Yes, I’m here. The possibly good news_.”

“It was a Dino Gem. Someone found it before Dr. O. did. We’re coming back to the lab to plan our next moves. See you soon.”

“ _Roger_.”

Chris turned back to the group; Conner was carrying an enormous box all by himself, muscles groaning, handsome face contorted in concentration.

“Can we... hurry up...?” he puffed. “This... weighs a tonne.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

They had barely arrived back at the lab before chaos struck.

The computer system blared loudly, ringing out around the lab as Conner heaved the box onto a shelf with a grunt and rushed over with the others.

“Uh, Tommy, I think we may have something,” said Hayley.

She was right.

“Unbelievable,” breathed Tommy, leaning on the desk to stare at the screen.

“Is that a Lion, a Dandelion and a bomb all mixed together?” gasped Chris. “Mesogog’s getting inventive, I’ll give him that... But at seven thirty in the morning?”

“Guess we got here just in time,” noted Ethan.

“Any particular reason for that guy?” asked Kira to Dr. Oliver, who was frowning heavily as he watched the creature lumber around the centre of town on the screen.

“It’s hard to tell,” admitted Dr. Oliver, glancing over to Kira. “It seems like he’s actually searching for something.”

“Well, it’s not going to like what it finds!” spat Conner. “Come on, guys.”

“Right.”

“Seven thirty – really? I could be sleeping!” moaned Chris. “What?” he asked, frowning, having realised the other three were staring at him. “Fine. But after this you owe me a day off. _DINO THUNDER, POWER UP_!”

They transformed and Chris teleported them away.

“Hey, where are you?” asked the creature, looking mindlessly around the town centre as they appeared in a flash of pink.

“Hey! Over here!” called Conner, loudly, clasping his fist with his hand threateningly. “Is there something we can help you with?”

“Red, blue, yellow, pink...” the creature turned to them and listed them off, one by one, and then shook its head. “No. I’m looking for something in basic white.”

“Do you have any clue what he’s talking about?” asked Kira, glancing up at Conner.

“None,” he replied.

The foursome took a fighting stance.

“Fire!” cried the creature and blasted them.

All four Rangers cart wheeled away just in time, when something caught Chris’s eye. “Hey – what’s that?!” he exclaimed, pointing towards the creature.

It was something. White and gold and incredibly fast, it was whirling around the creature in a blurred tornado, issuing attack after attack at it, knocking the creature around.

“What’s going on!?” cried the creature, as the white object smashed repeatedly into it.

It all happened in such a blur that no-one could really see what happened: the creature exploded and toppled backwards, exploding in a cloud of smoke and fire, as the white object whizzed away into town.

“Just one other question: I know I’m slowly going blind, but you all just saw that, right?” asked Chris, glancing around at his teammates.

“Yes,” said Kira.

Conner and Ethan nodded.

“Oh, good – I’m _not_ going mad.”

“You guys saw that, right?” asked Conner into his Morpher.

“ _Yeah,_ ” said Dr. Oliver’s incredibly confused voice. “ _We’re still trying to figure out what it was_.”

“We’ll try and follow it!” Conner assured him; he gestured to the others. “Come on!”

They rushed after the white object, deeper into the town centre.

“It should be around here somewhere,” said Conner as they rushed into the courtyard by the mall.

“I don’t see anything!” exclaimed Ethan, frustrated.

“Look harder,” rumbled a deep, booming voice from behind them.

The foursome whirled around; emerging from behind a column was a sight that made them all gasp in shock. Another Ranger stood before them: the Ranger’s suit was white from head to toe, except for golden clasps around the chest plate, knee caps, waist and wrists, and large black spikes adorned the suit, all pointing inwards towards the Ranger.

“Okay – tell me you all see a white and gold Ranger with black spikes and a sword?”

“Who is it?” gasped Kira.

“You do,” said Chris, even if she hadn’t replied directly to him. “Good.”

“And how come he gets the phat helmet?!” moaned Ethan.

“This guy a friend of yours, Dr. O.?” asked Conner into his Morpher.

“ _Never saw him before..._ ”

“Okay,” replied Conner and he began to rush forward to the White Ranger.

“Don’t come any closer,” rumbled the Ranger, balling a fist. “You’ll force me to do something I do want to do.”

Chris couldn’t tell whether the Rangers words were a threat or a warning.

“What do you mean by that?” gasped Conner.

“Let me show you,” said the Ranger – and, now, Chris knew the words had been a threat and not a warning – as the Ranger drew a long sword, white and gold dancing along the blade, from the sheath on their thigh and twirled it in their hand. “White Drago Sword.”

He waved it rapidly in the air, and faded yellow arrows appeared in front of him. “Laser Arrows,” he declared as they turned to the other Rangers. “Fire.”

“Ah, _shit..._ ” moaned Chris.

For once, Dr. Oliver didn’t correct his language. The four Rangers were thrown backwards, crashing down onto the paved ground with a thump.

“Was that really necessary?” moaned Conner as the foursome struggled to their feet.

“That was just a warning,” boomed the White Ranger, waving his sword.

He vanished before their eyes.

“Well...” groaned Chris. “That was... ominous. If that’s it, can I go back to bed, Dr. O.?”

“ _No_ ,” said Dr. Oliver’s voice through his Morpher. “ _Return to the lab_.”

“Fine,” moaned Chris. “Come on, guys. Let’s see what Hayley, with her infinite nerd powers, has discovered.”

Kira jumped onto his back and the other two took a hand each. They vanished with a flash of pink and the lab reformed in front of them.

“Nothing yet?” asked Dr. Oliver.

He was leaning on the computer desk next to Hayley, who was examining the DNA of the White Ranger intently.

“Nothing,” she declared. “I can’t get any sort of reading on his genetic makeup. It’s like the Ranger Powers bonded with his own DNA and it’s all jumbled into one.”

“Well, we know for sure what you detected this morning, Dr. O.,” noted Chris, as he and the other Rangers approached. “A White Dino Gem.”

“Maybe Mesogog learned how to make Power Rangers?” suggested Conner.

“No,” said Chris. “Good thought, but no. He’d be using these evil Rangers to besmirch our reputation if he did – just to make our job even harder – by turning the town against us. No. This has to be a Dino Gem situation.”

“Chris is probably right,” acknowledged Hayley. “I can’t see any other way.”

“Then why has it gone all whack and jumbled his DNA?” asked Ethan.

“Maybe it got damaged when it landed where it did?” suggested Chris. “Who knows how far a volcanic explosion sixty five million years ago could throw a Dino Gem – and god knows what’s trampled on it, eaten it, etc, over all those millions of years?”

The computer beeped.

“Oh, great, he’s back!” moaned Ethan.

“And looking for more trouble, no doubt,” agreed Kira.

“You guys better get over there and make sure he doesn’t go completely medieval on any civilians.”

“Good thinking,” noted Conner. “Let’s go. I’m piggy backing this time.”

“Ah – no – get off – Conner, you weigh a tonne! No more sundaes for you!”

The foursome emerged behind the White Ranger in a flash of pink. They were in a parking lot on the edge of town.

“Hey, back so soon?” asked Conner, snidely, sliding off Chris’s back. “Thought you made your point last time!?”

“I’ve only just started,” rumbled the Ranger, turning back to them. “You want some more?”

“Not really, no,” said Chris, quickly. “No. I’m good. I’d much rather be sleeping. Uh – guys – _guys, no!_ Really, it’s Saturday _. I should be sleeping!_ ”

He rushed after his friends, who had charged at the White Ranger.

“Fools!” boomed the White Ranger, lunging at them.

The Rangers met in combat, the White Ranger hacking and slashing. Kira and Ethan were easily knocked aside, but Chris and Conner met the White Ranger head on, blocking his attacks and dodging.

He danced away from them and created the Laser Arrows from before. He waved his sword and fired. Chris roared, summoned his Spino Smashers, and bought them swinging up. They hit the laser arrows and an explosion rang out, throwing Chris and Conner backwards to the ground.

“Weaklings,” rumbled the White Ranger.

The foursome staggered to their feet; the White Ranger cackled evilly and raced towards them in a blur of white. They couldn’t see a thing; except for the golden X he drew on each of their chests before leaping away and landing nearby.

“That’s got to hurt...” said the Ranger.

The foursome exploded, being hurled backwards into the ground. Chris’s head rattled inside his mask, thumping against the back of his helmet.

“Alright, what’s the deal?” asked Conner. “We tried to be nice, just extending a little Ranger love, and this is what we get?”

Ethan heaved Chris to his feet, noticing that he was smoking, and couldn’t tell if it was from the attack or whether they were about to lose him to his anger again.

“I’m not here to make friends!” snapped the White Ranger.

“Then what is it?” growled Chris and Ethan got his answer as the smoking began to increase. “ _What do you want!?”_

“That isn’t something you need to know,” boomed the White Ranger. “All that’s important right now is that there are four Rangers too many. And I’m here to change that.”

“Go for it,” taunted Conner.

The White Ranger charged; Conner readied himself for the attack. But it never came – the sound of metal clanging repeatedly echoed and he gasped. Chris was stood in front of him, Spino Smashers whirling and twirling, feet moving faster than Conner had ever seen them move before.

The White Ranger moved and knocked Conner, Ethan and Kira off their feet.

“That should do it,” he declared, effortlessly blocking an attack from Chris, who was swinging wildly at him.

“Think we’re just gonna walk away?” growled Kira, even though she, Conner and Ethan could barely stand.

“Not gonna happen!” agreed Ethan; he blasted at the White Ranger, who blocked it effortlessly and blasted it right back at them, knocking them to the floor.

Chris began to rise into the air, fury and rage coursing through him at the sight of his friends lying injured on the ground.

“What!?” gasped the White Ranger as power began darting and fizzling across Chris’s body. Two white eyes were glistening inside the helmet.

“ _Wait! Don’t!_ ” Dr. Oliver was rushing over. “ _Chris – stop!_ ”

“What’s the matter?” gasped Ethan.

“We don’t know what he’s capable of,” replied Dr. Oliver. “He’s got powers we might not be able to deal with!” He turned to the White Ranger, acutely aware of Chris hovering above them, rumbling like an over-powered generator. “We don’t want to hurt you. Just tell us why you’re here!”

“Why am I here?” asked the Ranger, turning away and resting his sword on his shoulder. “Let me see... to defeat you?” He turned back to them.

“That does it!” cried Ethan and he and Kira charged.

“ _Wait! No!_ ” cried Dr. Oliver.

But it was too late – Ethan and Kira had barely moved before an ear-splintering bang erupted from above them; Chris had finally lost control. Power exploded from him in a plumed beam of light and the wind began to whirl violently around him.

“You’re not match for me...” taunted the White Ranger, striding forward as the beam descended. He raised his sword and blasted it back.

It collided with Chris, threw him through the air, off the side of the parking lot and out of their sight. They rushed over, only to see Chris crash down on to the roof of the cab of a lorry parked in the parking lot below.

He moaned, rolled, and then flopped down the front of the trunk and hit the ground, totally still.

The White Ranger leapt after him, landing in front of the unconscious pink-clad youth. He raised his sword and plunged it down; it stopped inches above Chris’s chest and then drained the power from him.

“Chris! _Get away from him!_ ”

The White Ranger barely intercepted the attacks from the others in time. One by one – Ethan with a slash to the helmet, Kira with a slash to the thigh, Dr. Oliver mid-attack and Conner with a slash to the chest – they were drained too.

“Uungh...” moaned Chris, barely stirring. “ _Uungh._ ”

“You’ve been warned, Power Rangers!” boomed the White Ranger. “Stay out of my way... or be destroyed.”

**~*~*~*~*~**

Chris came too in the lab, moaning painfully, barely able to move. Every breath felt like poison was ripping him apart. Something strong was holding him down.

“What?” he moaned, shuffling. “What’s –?”

“Don’t move!” said Conner urgently, holding him in place; he was dirt clad and scuffed, scraps lining his face and hands. “You’re hurt. _Badly_. Hayley thought we’d almost lost you – again – and it was touch and go for a while.”

“How... long... have... I... been unconscious?” moaned Chris, barely able to keep his eyes open from the pain coursing through his body.

“About three hours,” said Conner, glancing down at him. Chris followed Conner’s eyes down and gasped – he was bleeding profusely from a wound that Conner was applying pressure too; blood was seeping from the ointment covered cloth and soaking Conner’s hands.

“Thankfully, that’s just superficial,” said Hayley, approaching with a bandage and ointment. “Just a deep scrape and some bruising, that’s all. No organs endangered or bones broken. It’ll leave a scar, and you’ll probably ache for a few days, but that’s about it.”

Chris just nodded weakly, moaning again. “Is that why I feel like I crashed down onto a lorry?”

“No, that’s because you _actually_ crashed down onto a lorry,” said Conner and Chris could hear the terror dancing across his voice.

“Ah,” said Chris, woozily. “Makes sense. I vaguely remember something red...”

Conner laughed mirthlessly, despite himself.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Chris,” said Ethan, from where he and Kira were sat, both looking scuffed and injured. “It wasn’t supposed to go that way, was it?” he added to Dr. Oliver.

“An evil White Ranger?” queried Dr. Oliver. “No. Of course, it’s been known to happen.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Kira, frowning as she rubbed at a bruise on her arm.

“How’re we supposed to fight him if we can’t get near him?” asked Conner.

“We figure out who this is and what he wants...” moaned Chris, attempting to sit up despite Conner’s protests. “Before it’s too late. It was just me today. How long before it’s an innocent? At least I deserve it.”

“You don’t –”

“Will you stop that! You don’t deserve this!” snapped Conner, angrily. Chris hissed in pain as he unintentionally pressed down too hard on the wound. “Sorry. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” said Chris, putting a hand on top of Conner’s. “You’re worried. Be angry. Be scared. I know I am – but, then again, I _am_ the one literally bleeding onto a cloth and your hands!”

“Chris, I’m sorry – this is really going to hurt,” said Hayley, interrupting. She raised another cloth and poured ointment on to it.

“ _What are you – ?_ ”

“Conner, hold him down.”

“ _No – Hayley – Conner – what –_ _AAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIII!_ ” Chris broke off with an ear-piercing scream. Conner held him down heavily, wishing he could block out the sickening screams, forcing him back onto his back on the bench as Hayley tended to his wound and pain surged through him.

“Easy – easy!” cried Conner, holding down Chris as energy began to build around him; the lights in the lab began to flicker and the computer system beeped angrily. “Hayley, hurry – guys, help!”

Kira and Ethan rushed off, helping Conner hold down Chris, who was writhing and screaming on the bench.

“ _GET IT OFF! IT HURTS! GET IT OOOOOOOFFFFFFF!_ ”

“Almost done... there...”

Chris flopped silent again, slipping back into unconsciousness as the energy building around him fizzled out like a battery burning out.

“Will he be alright?” asked Conner, staring down at his friend, who was now beginning to drool.

“He’ll be fine,” said Hayley gently, corking the bottle of ointment. “I own a cafe. I have to be trained in first aid in case anything like this happens to a customer. Of course, hopefully a customer hasn’t just been thrown thirty feet into the air and then come crashing down onto the hood of a lorry.”

“We have to find a way to win,” said Conner vehemently, curling a fist. “We nearly lost Chris today – he’s not coming back into battle, Hayley, no matter how much he protests – and we could lose more if we don’t hurry.”

Chris was stirring, eye blinking blearily open.

“Uungh,” he moaned, struggling to sit up with Ethan’s help. “What’re we discussing?”

“You’re discussing nothing,” said Conner quickly. “You’re staying here – _not a word, Chris!_ ” he added, seeing Chris’s mouth open to protest. “ _I mean it_.”

Seeing the fear flick through Conner’s eyes made Chris stop protesting. “Fine,” he sighed, giving up the fight – there were better battles to pick. “Oh!” his eyes widened as an idea struck him. “Hayley, is there any way you could transfer my abilities to Conner – just until I’ve recovered? If they need to fight with a Megazord, I’m in no condition to do it.”

“I can make one,” said Hayley. “Or, I can try to at least.”

“Good,” said Conner. “You get some rest, Chris. We’ll plan on how to win the fight.”


End file.
